ã€ŠSinner of the Spadesã€‹


 Chapter 1: Pageantry of Feathers

    ¡°My esteemed guests, I bid you a gracious welcome to an evening of intrigue, where the veil between the ordinary and the extraordinary shall be lifted before your very eyes.¡± A magician stood in the center of a stage overlooked by several verandas, his shoes clacking loudly, and his long black coat fluttering with each step. His top hat twirled in his fingers as he pulled it off of his head, taking a bow towards the audience.

    The crowd erupted in applause, like hundreds of guns going off at once. They weren¡¯t tourists, rather regulars. They had come to know of Lumi¨¨re Croft and his illusionist antics. Their applause was their excitement- their expectation for a show that would exceed all others, including his previous endeavors. Fathers and daughters, mothers and sons- they were all equal as audience members with hearts caught up in anticipation.

    A little girl, holding her mother¡¯s hand, settled in the front row of the seating area, letting out excited squeals as she sat down in her seat. Each time she would beg her mother to take her out to the show hall to see the magician, she would sit in her seat each time realising that she had grown a little taller. This performance in particular, she had grown just tall enough to see over the railing without her mother¡¯s help.

    It was a special performance to her.

    ¡°Do you want me to lift you up again, darling?¡± The mother looked down on the little girl with a soft, pitying look. She had grown used to the process. However, to her surprise, her daughter shook her head and smiled, her gaze never averting from the magician center-stage.

    As the little girl and the countless others in the audience watched on, Lumi¨¨re pulled out a white handkerchief from his breast pocket and held it up.

    ¡°To any one of you, this may look like any ordinary handkerchief.¡± Lumi¨¨re grinned as his gaze rose to the veranda which hung high in the show hall. Standing at the front of the crowd on the top row, a woman dressed in a fancy black-and-yellow lace dress stared down at Lumi¨¨re with a disapproving gaze. Her sapphire eyes watched as Lumi¨¨re directed his hand to point towards her and spoke out once more. ¡°However, it¡¯s actually something our lovely Madame, the host of the show, has kindly donated for the sake of my silly little trick. I¡¯m quite sure it¡¯s worth double what I make in a month. Isn¡¯t that spectacular? Let¡¯s give her a round of applause!¡±

    The Madame was forced to avert her gaze in embarrassment as the crowd directed their excited gazes towards her and applauded. The firecracker-like symphony of clapping continued as Lumi¨¨re raised the hand that held the handkerchief forward.

    ¡°Well, there¡¯s some worth in this handkerchief being so absurdly expensive.¡±

    The more Lumi¨¨re drew their attention back and forth, the less they would have been able to focus on, and so as the handkerchief in Lumi¨¨re¡¯s hand became enveloped in bright crimson flame, their surprise was amplified. As embers filled the air, Lumi¨¨re¡¯s gloved hand filled with a wriggling white mass, and when it dissipated, a dove sat perched in the center of his palm.

    Surprised gasps escaped the lips of onlookers. ¡°You see, the reason the Madame pays so much for these fancy handkerchiefs is because they¡¯re actually birds in disguise!¡±

    As Lumi¨¨re declared this, his gaze fell upon the little girl who sat in the front of the audience, staring with excitedly wide eyes at the bird that flapped its wings in Lumi¨¨re¡¯s hand. Lumi¨¨re smiled at the young girl, whose expression took on a look of brilliance after realising she had been noticed. She reached up her tiny little hand to wave at Lumi¨¨re, who waved back with his free hand in return.

    Then, Lumi¨¨re took off his top hat once more.

    ¡°Of course, we can¡¯t just have animals running around in the show hall!¡± He declared, placing the dove inside of his hat. Then, he reached his hand outwards and snapped. Out of his sleeve, a long black-and-white rod- a magician¡¯s wand appeared. He spun it between his fingers before tapping on the rim of the upturned hat twice. ¡°Now, it¡¯s just a matter of waiting a few seconds¡­¡±

    He looked back up at the audience, who stared right back at him with anticipation. Lumi¨¨re smiled at them and raised the hat outwards towards them. ¡°Isn¡¯t it marvelous, my dearest guests? With the power of this hat, even I can make living creatures disappear!¡±

    When Lumi¨¨re glanced down in his hat, the feathery-white dove he had anticipated had disappeared. In its place, however, a rabbit with a soft-white glow around its form wriggled slightly in the center of the hat. He reached into the hat and pulled it out with one hand, holding it against his chest and stared down at it. The crowd, in response, began to cheer even more. Lumi¨¨re was not so amused.

    ¡®Where the hell did you come from?¡¯ Lumi¨¨re¡¯s brow twitched. ¡®Is this one of Ms. Lavant¡¯s pranks? Shouldn¡¯t an attendant of the show hall dissuade herself from interfering with its performance?¡¯

    His act unwavering, Lumi¨¨re raised the rabbit up in the air and declared while shaking his head. ¡°That wasn¡¯t meant to happen!¡± However, with the inflection of his voice, this was passed off to the crowd as a bit of humour. When Lumi¨¨re looked down at his arms once more, the rabbit had disappeared, as if it had never existed at all.

    ¡®So even the rabbits disappear without my needing to do anything?¡¯ Lumi¨¨re was slightly confused. ¡®I¡¯ll have to talk with Ms. Lavant later¡­¡¯

    As he spoke, a string-quartet began to play a captivating piece in the background, suspended below the stage. The volume of the droning strings began to swell, and the rhythm of the bass kept the swing of the piece in constant motion. After a short while, the crowd had lost focus on Lumi¨¨re, and now paid full attention to the quartet. So, Lumi¨¨re ignored his introspections and continued with his performance.

    ¡®A magician¡¯s first course of action is to distract. This is my first principle, one of many meant to achieve certain goals.¡¯ A grin curled up Lumi¨¨re¡¯s lips as he extended his hand. As he snapped his fingers, the quartet stopped the crescendo tune, enveloping the show hall in a slow, serene drone. As the notes fell, so did the gazes of the crowd fall to see the mist that gradually cloaked the performers in a haze, the bare movements of their bows the only sense that they remained.

    Seeing this, the audience erupted with gasps of surprise and confusion.

    ¡°My esteemed guests, you may have grown to believe that a show is best viewed alongside an exquisite musical performance. I too, have accepted this fact of show life. However, in recent times, the industry has been very tough. The funds are just not what they used to be.¡± Lumi¨¨re let out a visible sigh, bowing his head while raising his hand towards the quartet cloaked in mist. ¡°Sadly, we just can¡¯t afford to hire these amazing, brilliant musicians as we have in the past. Mr. Crusch, our Cellist, Ms. Adeline, our Bassist, and Mr. And Mrs. Haugard, our Violinist and Violist- well, it¡¯s time for us to bid adieu to them.¡±

    In response, the crowd began to murmur and let out their dissatisfaction.

    ¡°I know, it¡¯s a shame!¡± As Lumi¨¨re spoke towards the audience, the platform underneath the stage where the quartet had been playing became clear once more, the haze vanishing. The bows, suspended within the air, continued to ring out with brilliant sounds, the music taking on a more mellow, somber tone. It wasn¡¯t like the previous performance, which enthralled the hearts of all watching. No longer was it majestic, encapsulating. Now it was just saddening.

    ¡°My esteemed guests, I¡¯ve just realised that it really isn¡¯t the same without these four!¡± Lumi¨¨re cried out, a dramatic, pitiful smile on his face. ¡°An instrument is just that- a tool by which the hearts of the performers share their truest skill. If left to the instrument alone, aren¡¯t we doomed to listen to this sorrowful droning forever? If only there were some way to keep them by our side, enlightening us with their beautiful talents!¡±

    Lumi¨¨re removed his hat once more, and swinging his arm forward, tossed it to the audience member furthest to his left.

    ¡°I ask you now for your help!¡± Lumi¨¨re glanced up at the Madame, the host of the show hall, who sat high above him. Her gaze was full of disapproval and annoyance. This only pushed Lumi¨¨re forward, knowing that every slight he could direct towards her would satisfy his heart even more. He had no fear that she would kick him out of the show hall either. His popularity was his shield- her greatest benefit. ¡°Anything you might be able to spare- if we all work together, then perhaps there¡¯s some chance that we can bring these great talents back once more! With your help, we can continue to enjoy things as they¡¯ve always been!¡±

    ¡®The Madame can afford to pay the musicians just fine. Do these lies make me a thief, or was it just misguided greed?¡¯ Lumi¨¨re chided inwardly. ¡®Well, it¡¯s not like I don¡¯t deserve additional compensation for bringing smiles to all these people.¡¯

    The members of the audience, moved by the somber melody of the empty quartet, found themselves reaching into the pockets of their coats, their handbags, and their trousers. Quickly, the top hat that was being paraded around began to be filled with multi-coloured notes, glimmering metal coins, and the shoddy jewels of the wealthy that could afford to be rid of them.

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    ¡°My dearest guests, you really are the most generous sort of people, aren¡¯t you?¡± Lumi¨¨re noticed the little girl at the front of the audience once more. He watched as she begged her mother for the spare coins she kept in her handbag, and then as she subsequently placed the handful of glimmering metal pieces into his top hat. If he could look her in the eyes once more after seeing that, he would have had no heart at all. Even Lumi¨¨re had shame, even if his actions didn¡¯t show it.

    After the top hat had been passed around to each audience member, it was returned to Lumi¨¨re by an attendant. It had nearly been filled to the brim with an assortment of valuable wares and banknotes.

    ¡®It does pay off, being such a horrible person¡­¡¯ Lumi¨¨re chided internally as he set the top hat to the side.

    ¡°My dearest guests, it seems we may be able to continue as usual. Your generosity really does amaze me. I would like to thank you all, personally. I hope we can continue to put on wonderful shows for you all.¡± Lumi¨¨re directed the attention of the audience to various spots throughout the hall with his hand. Nestled in between the audience members, the quartet members suddenly stood up, illuminated by the stage lights that snapped to their locations. As the audience spotted them littered throughout the crowd, they began to cheer and let out aweful praises. ¡°I¡¯m sure our wonderful musicians agree with this sentiment. It looks like they¡¯ve decided to return and play for us once more. I really wonder how they can do such a thing, but no matter how many times I ask them to tell me how they perform such an act, they won¡¯t ever budge. As they say, a magician never reveals his secrets. It¡¯s truly a shame.¡±

    The crowd filled with laughter once more.

    ¡®That¡¯s why I would never call myself a magician. Holding so many secrets is a painful endeavour¡­¡¯

    After the performance ended, Lumi¨¨re made sure to divide several small portions of the funds for each of the members of the quartet. Although they were more than excited to just be involved in the actual performance, rather than a background accoutrement, Lumi¨¨re felt bad about using them to use others. So, to ease his guilt slightly, he made sure to give them a fair share.

    Then, Lumi¨¨re found himself changing in a dressing room within the show hall. As he buttoned up his shirt, the door to the room opened with a soft creak. Raised silk shoes echoed tapping sounds upon the tiled floor, and a woman taller than Lumi¨¨re stepped into the room. She wore a bright yellow gown, which matched well with her eyes like a blue sky. Her stark auburn hair was braided behind her head, and every part of her that would usually draw attention was littered with expensive jewelry.

    She was a beautiful woman, but Lumi¨¨re Croft was not the sort of man that would allow such a thing to stir his emotions. His set of principles did not include bowing to instinct. He had decided after reading a multitude of novels that he was to portray himself in the calmest fashion, like a character in a poorly-written novel. Of course, even he couldn¡¯t stop his witty nature from flooding over his intentions.

    As the Madame, the woman adorned in regalia approached him, she spoke out.

    ¡°The donations weren¡¯t on behalf of our show hall, Mr. Croft. I would have never authorised such a demeaning act. The jobs of the quartet¡¯s members were never at stake. You used such a somber atmosphere to move the hearts of the audience members. It wasn¡¯t a performance, it was more akin to taking hostages¡­¡±

    ¡°Will you arrest me for this crime, Madame?¡± Lumi¨¨re shrugged, his self-satisfied smile unwavering.

    ¡°¡­and you set another of my handkerchiefs on fire. Do you know where that silk comes from?¡± The Madame scoffed. ¡°It may take weeks, perhaps even months to import another¡­ if my status doesn¡¯t remain befitting of my standing, then I¡¯ll become the mockery of the industrialists¡¯s wives¡­ even the wife of Leiden¡¯s financier seems to think she can use any small point to demean another. You really make life harder to live in comparison to how much money you bring in, don¡¯t you, magician?¡±

    Lumi¨¨re shrugged again. ¡°I¡¯m no magician, merely a career-liar. If you wanted a real magician, you could have asked one of those minor religious sects that practice out of the hilltops outside the city.¡±

    ¡°And then the Goddess would strike me down.¡± The Madame chided. ¡°One should not delve where one does not need be. That treacherous realm of magic belongs only to the churches. Neither you, I, or the show hall need be involved with those matters.¡±

    Leaning against the wall, the Madame pulled out a cigarette from her ornate handbag. ¡°I¡¯m not going to pay you for this show, considering you¡¯ve already collected from the audience more than I would have paid you anyway.¡±

    ¡°What makes you so confident I won¡¯t report this to a representative of the Trade Commission?¡± Lumi¨¨re spoke calmly in return, leaning his head on his hand.

    He watched as the Madame lit a cigarette at the end of a cigarette holder before releasing a hazy cloud of smoke into the air. ¡°It¡¯s a preposterous assumption that you¡¯ve made to assume that I haven¡¯t already paid those men to ignore certain things.¡± Lumi¨¨re watched as the Madame stole his self-satisfied smile, looking down at Lumi¨¨re as if she remained the victor. His eyebrow twitched, but he kept his calm demeanor.

    ¡°You¡¯re an evil witch.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m also your employer. I hope you won¡¯t forget that, magician.¡±

    After a short while, the Madame put out the cigarette in an ashtray on top of a countertop, and without looking back at Lumi¨¨re, stepped out of the room with an exhausted huff.

    ¡®It¡¯s not like I actively try to make your life harder, Madame. It¡¯s just that my benefit weighs much more than I can consider yours.¡¯ Lumi¨¨re¡¯s expression grew sorrowful, his gaze falling towards the floor. ¡®I¡¯m not the only person that depends on me¡­¡¯

    Lumi¨¨re pulled the top hat over his messy head of hair and stood up, stepping out of the room. When he had exited the show hall, the money he had obtained from the show tucked discreetly in his interior pocket, he began to walk.

    The rain fell harshly on the flagstones that littered the dusty pathway of Leiden. The city was sprawling in its architecture that seemed to try desperately to pierce through the smog of the stormy sky, with towering buildings made of brick and mortar by the Goddess of architecture¡¯s design. Gears could be heard whirring in the distance, of mechanical contraptions that powered the city, and of the giant clock tower that rested in the distance of the middle borough, constantly chiming to remind everyone that time was always moving forward.

    Since the crimson sun had nearly set, all manners of people had started to make their way home. Those coming home from an exhausting day of hard labour rode on the double-deckered engine-driven street trains, while residents of the middle borough would hire a carriage pulled by well-groomed horses, and the wealthy would ride along the wide streets in their own motorised carriages. Even in the main street, the disparity between the labourers and the fortunate was intensely obvious. If one could afford it, those carriages would be driven by attendants, and for those who owned the greatest wealth, their motorised carriages would be driven by mass-produced human-like automatons.

    In place of the sun which had pulled away its light from the streets, oil lamps on posts had been manually lit by the lamplighter that stomped his way through the city. So, the street was basked in a bright orange glow from the flames. Lumi¨¨re knew that even the lamplighter was prone to losing his work at the behest of advancing industry. More and more had electricity begun to fill the streets with bright incandescent light, and so flame that had been gifted to humanity took a quiet backseat.

    Alongside the glow of the lamplight, the lilac-coloured moon had emerged, alongside a singular green, blue, and red star. A raven had settled underneath its light above Lumi¨¨re, a terrible omen of despair.

    But alongside bad luck was simply the only way one could live. A man would be made to know his worth, whether most of all, or naught in the slightest, and then he would be made to fight against life with the sharpness of his family¡¯s name, or bare-handed against hunger and strife. That was why Lumi¨¨re struggled, both to live, and to lie. If he could make money, then the people who depended on him could also survive.

    As he found his way in an empty alleyway, movement stirred in Lumi¨¨re¡¯s jacket pocket. Reaching inside, he grasped hold of a wriggling, soft mass. As he pulled it out, he realised it was the dove he had pocketed during his performance.

    ¡®Is this where you went when that rabbit replaced you? I completely forgot about where you would end up after that trick¡­¡¯

    As he looked at the bird, he let out a soft laugh- one that almost completely dispelled the exhaustion that had knitted its way into his body. He held the dove outwards and stared into its empty black eyes.

    ¡®I would keep you, but I¡¯m sure someone back home would much rather eat you than take care of you. As for returning you to the show hall, the Madame doesn¡¯t mind buying new birds¡­ I doubt she would want you back. Maybe this is your chance to feel the freedom of life, whatever that may be¡­¡¯

    Lumi¨¨re let out a sigh and threw the dove forward. It began to flap its wings, and before flying away, turned back to look at Lumi¨¨re as it hovered.

    Then, shadows filled the air, as if the sun had finally completely set. Lumi¨¨re¡¯s humoured gaze darkened as he watched a mass of blackish-crimson miasma lurch through the air. A gaping maw that dripped with foul, putrid black liquid enveloped the form of the dove, swallowing it in an instant as Lumi¨¨re¡¯s heart shook fiercely. Confusion was etched onto his face, and all he could do as his body froze in horror was watch as a beast made up of rotting liquid flesh stomped its way past him, ignorant of his presence. Instead, its shaking pupils fixated on two figures standing at the edge of the empty alleyway.

    Being approached by the massive creature, Lumi¨¨re saw a familiar mother and little girl frozen in fear as they stared up at the monster. His heart dropped immediately, and he felt his hand twitch slightly, as if he couldn¡¯t even will himself to step forward. As the little girl cried out, her gaze moved to the side and spotted Lumi¨¨re standing behind the monster. He knew then what expression had found its way onto his face.

    It was an expression of shame.

    As the monster opened its mouth, the foul liquid dripped off of its many layers of teeth onto the mother and child. The mother hugged the young girl close, and the beast lunged towards the two.

    ¡®Damn it, even if I could move, what could I possibly do?¡¯ He didn¡¯t bother to try and comprehend the situation. All he knew was that the incomprehensible was threatening the lives of the people he had taken advantage of. His shameful heart wanted to walk forward, but his body refused. ¡®I¡¯m just a liar¡­ if I were really a magician, could I do something?¡¯

    The sky suddenly dimmed. The world lost its sense of colour, and Lumi¨¨re was plunged into black-and-white, his skin growing ice-cold. The beast froze in front of the mother and daughter, their expressions of fear frozen on their faces. Lumi¨¨re, too, found that he was frozen. However, his eyes were left to dart back and forth, scanning his surroundings, aware of his situation.

    For a moment, there was chilling silence. Then, he heard murmurs in the distance, almost incomprehensible. There were thousands of them, constantly repeating both in his head and far away, stacked atop each other like a cacophony of gibberish and madness. It made Lumi¨¨re¡¯s head pulse in sharp, repetitive pain. But he could not cry out, only continue to watch his frozen surroundings until the murmurs coalesced into a comprehensible sentence, echoing endlessly in the distance in a cold tone of voice.

    ¡°{To correct your misdeeds, would you sin further?}¡±

 Chapter 2: Sinners Contract

    Suddenly, Lumi¨¨re could move his body once more. He quickly turned around to face the owner of the mysterious echoing voice, and his gaze shook. Sitting politely atop a wooden box with his hands folded in his lap, a figure dressed in an outfit reminiscent of a bygone era sat, waiting. He had medium-length curly black hair and blue eyes that seemed vacant, yet determined to move forward.

    ¡°Who- who are you?¡± Lumi¨¨re subconsciously stammered, quickly realising his demeanor and recollecting himself.

    ¡°I¡¯m merely a messenger. There¡¯s no need to be afraid.¡± The figure spoke candidly.

    ¡®Why did the flow of time suddenly cease? Am I in a dream?¡¯ Lumi¨¨re¡¯s thoughts began to race. ¡®If I¡¯m not, then who is this man? Is he a user of magic? Isn¡¯t that forbidden by decree of the Orthodox Churches? Then, is this man an evil person? Should I be wary?¡¯

    ¡°You¡¯re a sinner, aren¡¯t you?¡± The figure asked, calm and unwavering. ¡°You do bad things. You regret those things.¡±

    He was surprised by the figure¡¯s informal speech. His heart still ached with fear, but Lumi¨¨re managed to speak with stumbling over his words, replying calmly. ¡°I do bad things, that¡¯s right. But I don¡¯t regret them. I have people to take care of. I can¡¯t afford to think for others.¡±

    ¡°No, you do regret those things.¡± The figure stood up from where he had been sitting, gradually approaching Lumi¨¨re with a tilted head. He looked abnormal, inhuman. With each step the figure took, Lumi¨¨re took one backwards. ¡°Every night you sit and you think about the things you do. You begin to hate yourself. You begin to Despair.¡±

    The space around Lumi¨¨re seemed to shake as Lumi¨¨re fell back against the wall of the alleyway, staring up at the figure who towered over him.

    ¡°But you don¡¯t have to do that any more. There¡¯s an even greater Sin willing to accept someone as wretched as you.¡± The figure offered his hand to Lumi¨¨re. ¡°Even Sinners receive the opportunity to make restitution for their actions.¡±

    ¡°How?¡± Lumi¨¨re¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°How do you think I can manage that?¡±

    The figure didn¡¯t reply, retracting his hand and stepping away from Lumi¨¨re. He looked over towards the beast, still frozen in time, hovering over the woman and child with foam and saliva dripping from its maw. It was a horrifying creature, an amalgamation of writhing flesh and black miasma constantly wrapping around its profane form.

    ¡°You regret what you did to the people who admired your talent, using their emotions to leech the money from their pockets. It hurt you when you saw that child¡¯s smile- you had guilt that you twisted her genuine excitement to your benefit.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re couldn¡¯t bear to look over at the two.

    ¡°My Lord likes people like you. People who know that sometimes some things must be accomplished in the worst ways.

    ¡°Your Lord?

    ¡°No, Lumi¨¨re Croft. I¡¯m talking about God.¡±

    ¡®God? Not ¡®Goddess¡¯?¡¯

    In Leiden, there were two majour orthodox religions that most people followed. The first, the Church of the Eternal Blueprint, followed the Architect, the Orthodox Deity whose knowledge had founded the architecture of the Forger Empire, which controlled the majority of the Western Continent. The other was the Church of Thorns, of which Lumi¨¨re was a half-believer, who followed the Crown of Thorns, the Orthodox Deity whose knowledge gave life to the plants that supported the denizens of the Forger Empire.

    Those two were the most widely praised and honoured Deities in the Western Continent. However, those Deities were both Goddesses. There was no honoured God in Leiden. At least, not one that was said to have decent intentions for its people. Lumi¨¨re knew that much, so he became incredibly wary of the figure in front of him, more so than he had been previously.

    ¡°What God do you follow?¡± Lumi¨¨re asked suspiciously, his eyes narrowing. His hand slowly and quietly navigated to his back pocket, where he kept flash paper meant for his illusions.

    ¡°That¡¯s not important right now, Lumi¨¨re Croft.¡± The figure spoke calmly, refusing the question. ¡°What is important is that currently, you¡¯re in danger. After this beast is done with the mother and daughter, who do you imagine it will go after next?¡±

    Lumi¨¨re hesitated before responding. ¡°It¡¯ll go after me.¡±

    The figure reached his hand out to the side, and before Lumi¨¨re could even comprehend what had occurred, he had pulled out a sheet of parchment from thin air. Where he had reached his hand, space seemed to warp and contort, as if it were like a curtain he could push past with a simple touch.

    ¡°My Lord wishes to offer you the chance to live.¡± The figure smiled. ¡°He will give you power befitting of a terrible person. You can use it to survive, or even to save those two that are about to be swallowed by that horrible abomination. However, if you accept this power, you will be doomed to be an abomination yourself.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re was stunned for a moment.

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    ¡°So, Lumi¨¨re Croft, will you take the deal? Do you have the resolve to do terrible things in order to save others? Or is your determination limited to small acts you can convince yourself were wholly necessary?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Lumi¨¨re began to speak, his voice trailing off almost immediately. Staring at the creature, he felt his entire body freeze once more. However, when his gaze turned towards the terrified faces of the mother and daughter, his heart ached more than he could bear. ¡°I want to save them¡­¡±

    ¡°Then sign the contract.¡±

    The figure threw the rolled-up parchment over to Lumi¨¨re, who glanced down at it with apprehension. However, the paper was immediately pinned down with a glimmering metal object. A dagger had found its way to the ground, thrown alongside the parchment.

    ¡°I make it a habit not to carry pens with me. Sign it in your own blood.¡± The figure smirked, having satisfied his wit.

    Lumi¨¨re picked up the dagger, his gaze shaking as he eyed its edge- sharp and untouched.

    ¡°Of course, you don¡¯t have to accept my Lord¡¯s benevolence. I¡¯ll be kind enough to leave that dagger with you, free of charge. You can take the risk and try and defeat that abomination with it. Of course, if you take this course of action, those two will definitely perish.¡±

    Staring at the parchment, countless thoughts raced through Lumi¨¨re¡¯s mind. ¡®Accept power? Like magic? But that¡¯s against the laws of the Church¡­ if I accept this deal, what will happen to me? Will the Goddess strike me down? No, even my closest friends might personally kill me if they found out I accepted such a thing. Even if none of that happened, surely this comes at a cost. What will this ¡®Lord¡¯ ask of me in return?¡¯

    The parchment was empty, except for an indescribably incomprehensible signature. It had no clauses, no descriptions, and no information. So, Lumi¨¨re looked back up towards the figure.

    ¡°What does your Lord want in exchange?¡±

    The figure smiled after hearing Lumi¨¨re¡¯s question. ¡°He wants you to do what you were meant to do from the very moment you were born. He wants your fate to succeed.¡±

    ¡®Is this Deity capable of seeing the future? What does he mean by my ¡®fate¡¯? Is my future something that coincides with this great being¡¯s interests? What significance could I have? All I do is lie¡­ is this really all that¡¯s being asked of me?¡¯

    ¡®But, even despite my worries¡­ this is the only chance to save those two, isn¡¯t it¡­? Even if the true cost of this power is more than I can handle, whatever it truly entails, the only choice for me now is obvious.¡¯

    Before long, Lumi¨¨re found himself flipping the dagger in his hand, slicing quickly along the flesh of his arm before he could bear to comprehend it. Ruby-red liquid flowed along his skin, spilling onto the parchment. Before he could think to twist the pools of blood on the paper into the shape of his signature, his vision darkened.

    Dancing at the edge of all that he could see, he witnessed horror incomprehensible. Thousands of tendrils enveloped the sky, wrapping around the lilac moon and pulling the stars out of the sky. Eyes replaced the stars, one by one, until the entire universe stared down at him from above. Being watched by so many pupils was maddening, terrifying, horrific.

    Lumi¨¨re felt dread cloud his heart, and with each passing second he was tempted to cry out. However, he had resolved himself to stay resolute. So, he stared back at the universe, and forced himself to grin in response.

    ¡®What is this horrific sight? A sky blanketed in madness¡­ is this what the end of the world looks like?¡¯

    After a short time enduring the painful fear that clawed its way into Lumi¨¨re¡¯s heart, the sight of the horrors ceased, and the area around Lumi¨¨re returned to normal. Instantly, he felt as if he had grasped the powers that he had obtained. He let out a sigh of relief, but the dread in his heart remained.

    ¡°Welcome to the pathway of the Sinner, Lumi¨¨re Croft.¡± The figure smiled, reaching out his hand. Lumi¨¨re looked back up at him, his gaze seeming quite different. However, when Lumi¨¨re reached out to grab it, he realised that the figure seemed more distant than ever. To him, he seemed to be right in front of Lumi¨¨re, but at the same time, he was too far to be touched. ¡°We¡¯ll meet again. For now, and always, you can call me Thomas- Thomas Hawthorne.¡±

    ¡°How will I find you in the future?¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t. I¡¯ll find you in a few days. If you have any questions for me, ask them at that time.¡± Thomas Hawthorne began to turn away.

    He let out a sigh, turning his head back to Lumi¨¨re.

    ¡°Now, you need to steel your resolve. The beast you¡¯re about to face is also the servant of a Deity. However, it¡¯s not like you or I. That thing is an abominable parasite- a malfeasant biproduct of corruption left behind by a ritual. It¡¯s not blessed by their Lord like we are.¡±

    ¡°Why did I encounter such a creature?¡±

    ¡°Coincidence is dangerous. You just happen to be an unlucky person. Fortunately, my Lord has been interested in your fate for some time. He would like to help further your growth as a terrible person.¡±

    ¡°Is this ¡®Lord¡¯ of yours particularly evil?¡±

    ¡°Evil is subjective, Lumi¨¨re Croft. If that¡¯s how you want to think of the Lord, then you can do so. He won¡¯t think of it as ill will. He may even see it as praise. However, you must remember that from this point forward, he is your Lord too.¡±

    ¡°May I know the name of my new Lord?¡±

    Thomas Hawthorne smiled mischievously. ¡°He is known as ¡®The Sinner¡¯.¡±

    ¡®The Sinner? I¡¯ve never heard of such a Deity before. Is he one of those lower Deities worshipped by sects outside of the majour cities? This certainly isn¡¯t a name befitting a benevolent Deity. So I really have become a servant of an evil God¡­¡¯

    ¡°Will you not help me fight the beast?¡± Lumi¨¨re asked Thomas.

    ¡°I¡¯m not interested in playing with children today. Don¡¯t worry, Lumi¨¨re Croft. The power my Lord has bestowed unto you is more than enough to defeat it.¡±

    ¡°What is that power?¡± Lumi¨¨re asked, attempting to be humoured. After seeing the sky turn into a horrific amalgamation, he had instantly grasped the changes that had occurred within him. It felt like an ancient emotion had begun to beat in his heart, and alongside it, he felt he had been bestowed with true power.

    ¡°Each bestowment my Lord gives others correlates to that person¡¯s most innate Sin. For you, that Sin was Despair. To fear, anguish,- to curse fate and still struggle against it¡­ that is who you are at heart, Lumi¨¨re Croft.¡± Thomas Hawthorne turned back towards Lumi¨¨re. ¡°These Sins, this power, it¡¯s not too far apart from who you were before you received it. In fact, one might say that it¡¯s akin to a persona, a different version of your same self. As long as you call out to that Sin, you can summon that power.¡±

    ¡°All power has repercussion.¡± Lumi¨¨re¡¯s gaze furrowed. ¡°So, what is mine?¡±

    Thomas Hawthorne shrugged. ¡°Go ahead and find out. I¡¯m just a messenger, after all.¡±

    He winked, before turning his back to Lumi¨¨re. ¡°Until next time, you terrible person.¡±

    As Thomas Hawthorne walked off in the distance, he seemingly vanished from Lumi¨¨re¡¯s view. However, before Lumi¨¨re could ruminate on their meeting, time began to flow once more.

    The creature¡¯s howl sounded out, and the screams of the mother and daughter continued.

 Chapter 3: Amalgamation

    Lumi¨¨re stood up from where he had fallen in the alleyway, reaching into his back pocket to procure a piece of flash paper. As he drew it in front of him, he brushed it alongside a particular spot of his coat, which had been fitted with a concealed red phosphorus sheet pulled from a matchbox. It was immediately set alight as Lumi¨¨re hurled it towards the beast. As it colliding with the back of the horrific creature¡¯s head, it exploded theatrically, filling the air with multi-coloured sparks. The mother and daughter let out a yelp, surprised by the sudden explosion, but it was more than enough to draw the monster¡¯s attention away.

    It reared its vile, profane head, turning towards Lumi¨¨re with a gaze full of pure vitriol; it stared at Lumi¨¨re with hatred in its eyes. It lunged without hesitation, barreling towards Lumi¨¨re with its maw of a thousand needle-like teeth bared agape.

    To any other man, this would have been a terrifying sight. However, to Lumi¨¨re, who had just signed away his life to an evil Deity, and witnessed the sky transform into horror, he didn¡¯t feel his heart waver in the face of the monster. Instead, retaining the knife thrown to him by Thomas Hawthorne, he dashed towards the creature in unison.

    Before the beast could clamp down on his flesh, he kicked outwards with his foot, brushing past the teeth of the beast. They grazed against his leg, spilling his blood onto the ground. With his foot against the large miasmic tongue of the beast, Lumi¨¨re thrust the knife upwards, burying it in the roof of its mouth. The beast cried out, its bellows echoing underneath Lumi¨¨re¡¯s foot.

    Still, he raged on. Turning towards the mother and child, he shouted. ¡°Run, damn it! Take your child and run!¡±

    The mother, who had still not grasped the whole situation, quickly got to her feet, pulling up her child along with her. The little girl, however, would have recognised the face of the magician anywhere. She pleaded with her mother as they ran, but a child knew not what to say in a situation like that. She just stared at Lumi¨¨re from afar, tears in her eyes as she watched the magician stand against the beast, until she saw him no longer.

    When the two had vanished from sight, Lumi¨¨re felt relieved. It wasn¡¯t because he feared for their lives. From the moment he had turned the creature¡¯s attention away, he had been convinced that they would remain safe. Rather, it was because he didn¡¯t intend to slay the beast with the knife that Thomas Hawthorne had left behind.

    It was because he wanted those two to remain convinced that he was just an illusionist. After all, real magic was prohibited by law, and as of that moment, Lumi¨¨re had become a true magician.

    When he had advanced to what Thomas Hawthorne had referred to as the ¡®Path of the Sinner¡¯, Lumi¨¨re had instantly grasped the three key powers he had obtained from experiencing horrific anguish. As Thomas had entailed, they related to Sin, to ¡®Despair¡¯. The first was the ability to create ¡®Dreadful Tremours¡¯ throughout an area, causing someone to experience a minute amount of fear that might twist a fight in his favour. Lumi¨¨re had initially written this ability off the moment he had understood it, as it didn¡¯t seem very relevant in the fight ahead. However, the other two abilities seemed far more useful to him. The second ability he had gained was ¡®Fear Transmutation¡¯, the ability to absorb and transmute the feelings of fear in the area around him into tangible strength and mental clarity. The third, which Lumi¨¨re had already begun to use, was the ability to turn his blood into a potent poison. Having made his way halfway into the creature¡¯s mouth, he had spilled his own blood into its writhing stomach, which was visible down its gaping maw.

    Lumi¨¨re kicked at the giant beast, pulling himself free from its mouth. Its jaw snapped shut immediately after, biting down on the knife Lumi¨¨re had embedded in its mouth. Its scarlet blood dripped from its jaw, mixing into the swirling liquid miasma that made up its abominable form. Lumi¨¨re took a step back, his mind racing as he tried to think of his next move.

    ¡®I can¡¯t use fear transmutation if I¡¯m not afraid. Moreover, I can almost sense that this creature isn¡¯t afraid either¡­ but why do I feel like a sense of despair still lurks in this area?¡¯ As the beast approached Lumi¨¨re, he cautiously examined it, taking steps back in parallel to its slowing movements. ¡®The more I observe it, the more I feel that the origin of this fear comes from deep within it¡­ but why? I can tell it isn¡¯t afraid, so why do I feel its despair?¡¯

    Lumi¨¨re let out a slight ¡®tsk¡¯, pulling out another sheet of flash paper and dragging it against his coat before hurling it towards the creature. In the moment that sparks filled the air, Lumi¨¨re used the cover of light to reposition behind the monster.

    ¡®Thomas Hawthorne said that by calling out to the Sin that I embody- Despair, I can summon an alternate ¡®persona¡¯ that is characterised by my opposite traits. How would this materialise? Would I suddenly lose myself if I were to summon that personality? This seems like a last resort option¡­ Thomas wouldn¡¯t even tell me of the repercussions of the abilities this ¡®Lord Sinner¡¯ granted to me¡­ perhaps he would gain pleasure from seeing me fail.¡¯ Lumi¨¨re cursed the messenger in his head. ¡®What a sadistic bastard.¡¯

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    So, Lumi¨¨re settled on what seemed like the only logical course of action. Wherever the source of ¡®fear¡¯ originated from, it still remained a fact that it was present. As it didn¡¯t seem to come from the creature itself, he guessed that it would be able to be affected by the dreadful tremours that he had dismissed earlier. So, Lumi¨¨re pulled up his sleeve and placed his palm against the ground as the creature swiveled its head to meet his gaze. Gaining a general understanding of his abilities had also granted him a semblance of understanding as to how to summon them, notwithstanding the lack of knowledge as to the intricacies of it all.

    Lumi¨¨re closed his eyes, ignoring the approach of the beast that had slowed down tremendously due to the poison that had begun to course through its body from Lumi¨¨re¡¯s poisoned blood. Inside of himself, he could sense the innate energy- the despair that churned in his heart. As if opening a gate, it began to course through his body, making its way through his arm like blood that weighed as heavy as iron, and stood as cold as ice. A dark, malevolent energy settled on his palms, spreading down into the stone ground of the alleyway like tree roots settling in the dirt. Then, suddenly, the beast ceased, as if sensing the preparations Lumi¨¨re had made.

    However, it had been far too late for the beast to react, if it even had the strength remaining to do so. The fear¡¯s origin became far clearer to Lumi¨¨re as it was amplified by the tremours of despair that erupted from the malevolent roots underneath their feet. It shined like a star that only he could see- as if that star was made of a churning, horrific shadow. Confirming Lumi¨¨re¡¯s suspicion, it did indeed originate from within the monster, but was not given off by the monster itself. It was as if another creature remained inside the beast, constantly emanating a sense of fear that Lumi¨¨re had begun to exploit.

    With no time to think, Lumi¨¨re conjured the Fear Transmutation ability he had obtained. The despair that originated from within the monster was immediately dispelled, hurtling towards Lumi¨¨re in an instant. He froze in place, his gaze fixated on the creature as his pupils shook. He could feel every minute aspect of that feeling, and he was cast into a terrified chain of emotions. He felt the fear of a new world, the fear of going to school, and the fear of growing up. He felt the fear of working, the fear of marriage, and the fear of having children. He felt the fear of growing old, of seeing one¡¯s last sunset, and the fear that one might not be remembered for long.

    He felt the fear of a human.

    And so Lumi¨¨re came to a horrific realisation of the origin of the despair he had absorbed, and the only horror that remained after the fear had been transmuted was his own. He stared at the monster, who stared back at him with vacant, longing eyes. For a moment, he saw past the malice and vitriol in its gaze, and saw the true essence of its being.

    And before he could think to do anything with the strength he had obtained from the Fear Transmutation, the monster succumbed to the poison blood, its eyes growing glassy and hollow before falling to the ground in a heap, the liquid miasma pooling around its horrifically twisted form. It had been killed.

    Then, Lumi¨¨re stood in silence, staring at the corpse of the beast, his gaze shaking, trembling along with his body.

    ¡®Were you¡­ really a monster?¡¯ Lumi¨¨re¡¯s mind was racing, churning with a sense of madness and anxiety. He grasped at his hair, brushing it out of his face as his gaze fell to the ground. ¡®How much of you was human? Did I just kill a person¡­? Have I become a murderer¡­?¡¯

    However, his mixed emotions and anxious thoughts didn¡¯t remain for long. After all, the Fear Transmutation spell he had used was mainly meant to offer him strength, but it also gave him increased mental clarity that immediately cleared up his hazy mind. Lumi¨¨re took a step back, still staring at the corpse of the creature as he let out a long breath, the weight on his heart escaping with it.

    ¡®Is this what Thomas Hawthorne meant by needing the resolve to become an abomination? By accepting this power, am I now on a path where I must do horrible things? Is this the path of the Sinner, the true cost of the contract, to be tied to the fate of a terrible person?¡¯ Lumi¨¨re grimaced, clenching his teeth. He felt anger rise up in his chest. ¡®So, Thomas must have known that this creature was human. That¡¯s why he called it a profane amalgamation. Whatever it is, he knew that I would kill it in order to save those two. My hands are stained with blood. If I were a selfless person, perhaps I could justify it, but in the end, I only saved those two in order to quell the guilt of using them for my own gain. All I did was kill for the sake of myself. How can I justify that?¡¯

    Blood continued to drip down Lumi¨¨re¡¯s arm, fresh from the wound he had inflicted on himself in order to seal the contract with the evil deity known as the Sinner. Moreover, the wounds he had sustained to his leg when holding open the mouth of the human-amalgamation still continued to stain his trousers with crimson. When he had regained his calm with the help of the Fear Transmutation spell, he simultaneously lost the adrenaline that had kept him steady, and now pain pulsed through his entire body.

    With resolve, he left the corpse of the human-amalgamation behind in the alleyway, limping along the street.

    The only thought that remained in his mind was the thought of returning home.

 Chapter 4: Illusion

    After recovering his shaky mental state using the remnant clarity from Fear Transmutation, Lumi¨¨re had bandaged the wounds on his arm and leg using some spare cloth pulled from his coat pocket.

    Lumi¨¨re¡¯s long coat was quite different from the traditional coats worn by the working men and tourists of Leiden. Because the area surrounding Leiden was stuck in a state of constant rainfall, long coats had become the norm. Lumi¨¨re¡¯s coat was carefully fitted with various mechanisms and hidden compartments for his trick-related items. This was related to how he kept flash paper in a certain hidden back pocket, and how it was alighted using the strips of coarse striking paper on its side.

    Thus, at all times, he kept useful items alongside him. While he was eager to return home, he knew that those who waited on him would worry if they saw him in such a state. That was why he took the time to refresh himself. It was just another of his lies, his tricks, his illusions.

    Now that he was freed from the present danger, countless thoughts began to trickle into his mind.

    ¡®Why did such a creature suddenly appear in Leiden? What could have caused such an occurrence? I know that monster was at least a fraction of a human person¡­¡¯ As Lumi¨¨re parsed through the previous events, he tried to distance himself from his emotions and think logically, but it proved quite difficult. ¡®And how did Thomas Hawthorne know to appear at that moment? He said that the Lord Sinner had been watching me with interest for some time, so does that mean that Thomas had been watching me from a close distance as well? Or does he have some sort of magical ability to close long distances in such a short time?¡¯

    In the Western Continent, the concept of magic had been highly stigmatised, and near-to-all knowledge of the systems of magic had been suppressed by the church. Lumi¨¨re had grown up in a monastery, so he understood that much. Of course, being able to access the library within the monastery, he had been able to glean far more knowledge than the average person would, and so he didn¡¯t fear the concept of ¡®magic¡¯ like others did. If that were the case, he might have died of fear the moment that Thomas Hawthorne had appeared before him.

    Strange occurrences like the appearance of the monster had been known to happen in Leiden. It was why in recent times, the capital of the Western Continent¡¯s empire had been sending in Peacekeepers, a militant force tasked with maintaining order, into Leiden in order to protect it from anomalies that interfered with daily life.

    Of course, most times, Lumi¨¨re was not concerned with the events that happened within the middle borough of Leiden, where wealthy merchants and well-off government workers enjoyed mostly-peaceful lives. That was because he had grown up in the lower borough, the section of Leiden that remained at the lowest point of the city. That was because the area that Leiden had been established on was quite hilly-terrain, and so it had been built onto three separate layers that divided the population- the lower, middle, and high boroughs.

    Lumi¨¨re stepped down a long pathway of flowering steps enveloped in brush and foliage, almost as if it was a secret path to the middle borough, where the show hall was, to the lower borough, where Lumi¨¨re lived. Because of constant rainfall, there was a large stone slope plastered onto the large hillside separating the two boroughs, so that the rain would avoid pooling in the middle borough, and make its way far below. As such, a large portion of the lower borough was flooded, and so boating services were common in the massive stacked city.

    The stacked housing district of the lower borough, named ¡®Etten-Leur¡¯ by the people around it, meaning ¡®false hope¡¯ in the local language, was an amalgamation of towering slums that had been desperately stacked atop one another to avoid the floods of constant rainfall. The lower level had become a waterway for the transportation of goods for organised crime groups- and of paltry transportation for workers who worked in the middle borough, or sectors of the lower borough.

    However, many chose not to live in Etten-Leur, for fear of the gangs, or of wanting to avoid the floods, without money to live in one of the many hovels that had been crudely plastered onto the face of the towering district. They became homeless wretches that gathered on Cobbler¡¯s Street, which lied apart from Etten-Leur on a grassy hillside, where Old Leiden lie uninterrupted by the machinations of the city¡¯s advancement. Cobbler¡¯s Street was where the monastery that Lumi¨¨re had grown up in stood, welcoming all that needed aid. It was the place that Lumi¨¨re worked hard to support- or rather, lied to others in order to support.

    As Lumi¨¨re finished descending the flowering steps and continued down the street, he soon came upon a man dressed in tattered cloth that seemed far too worn to be patched up, and too dirty to truly even be considered clothes.

    He had bright-white hair that fell dirtily against his shoulders, and a nose as red as roses, that incessantly dripped snot onto his upper lip as he muttered to himself and scrawled etchings into the stone wall beside him.

    Sitting down beside the raving old man, he eyed the scribbles upon the wall. Each sentence that had been scrawled in spotty chalk was by his short descriptions, in how fractured they could be, the ¡®secrets to the endless expansive universe¡¯. Of course, how true the mutterings of a crazed elder could be was completely subjective to a person, and Lumi¨¨re did not agree to pay his thoughts any real attention.

    Lumi¨¨re was a man whose heart had been carved with pity for the miserable, for he too was someone fate didn¡¯t often smile kindly upon. So, every day that he worked at the show hall, he would make time to visit the old man, even if it only meant providing him with company.

    ¡°Mr. Carthel, have you eaten anything today?¡± Lumi¨¨re asked him with a gentle smile.

    The old man¡¯s gaze flipped immediately over towards the poor magician. Continuing his incoherent ramblings under his breath, he reached his hands out as if to accept anything that Lumi¨¨re would offer him.

    Slowly, Lumi¨¨re slipped his jet-black performer¡¯s gloves away from his long, thin fingertips with a sigh.

    The career liar then reached into his coat jacket, where a pocket had been sewn carefully into the interior, and pulled out a white linen cloth that had been bunched up carelessly. Tucked inside was a small piece of bread, one made of inferior flour from the hill-strewn lowlands- a piece of bread that had by then grown stale and cold.

    ¡°Father Benedict always makes sure I¡¯m carrying something to eat¡­ but I know well that within the lower borough, there are those that are far hungrier than I.¡± Lumi¨¨re spoke in a hushed tone.

    ¡®That fool cares for others far more than himself¡­¡¯ He cursed inwardly.

    As he lamented, he could only sigh once more.

    Hurriedly, the old man accepted his offering, sparse as it was, and in an instant, it had been tucked away within his frail gut. For a Dwindler of the city-state of Leiden, one would urge them to eat slowly, after living for days without a single bit of food crossing their lips - as if to save them the sickness of an upset stomach.

    However, in the case of Aineth Carthel, Lumi¨¨re was not so afraid of refusing him the instant pleasure of quelling his hunger. He was sure that no matter what he would say to the skeleton whose skin clung desperately to his bones, he would not live much longer.

    Such was a world of tragedy, the type of life that was lived down below the land of the fortunate.

    Still, for some reason, the harsh beating in Lumi¨¨re¡¯s heart wished he would live to see many more ruby sunrises. That was why he would often make his way to the man on the street, if only to feed him whatever he could, and make sure he was warm. Although the monastery Lumi¨¨re was taken in by would often feed those without homes that gathered outside of it, and would shelter them from the cold of night, Aineth Carthel seemed completely opposed to gathering in a group, and so he stayed by his muttering lonesome on the side of the street. Even if he were to try and socialise, it was unlikely they would accept him. The sane feared the insane. It was the nature of humankind.

    ¡°Be sure to come by sometime, Mr. Carthel.¡± Lumi¨¨re smiled as he stood up, bidding his farewells to the old man. He knew that his words meant nothing to him, but they were really only meant for Lumi¨¨re. He was a complacent man, who could say that ¡®he had at least tried¡¯. It was a half-hearted invitation, selfish.

    After a short time walking through the rain within the sculpted-stone city, Lumi¨¨re came to a wooden sign standing up on a large pole, with lettering carved into it in the Thalis language- a lettering system bound to the greater Iles language, spoken almost exclusively in the west of the continent.

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    ¡®With a linguistic system so simple, even wretches could easily learn to read the signs to the wayside, couldn¡¯t they?¡¯ He thought simply, trying to wave his worries away.

    Lumi¨¨re didn¡¯t for a moment consider himself a poor bastard. The Monastery had taught him the minute details of life, of literature and language, and of art and music. It wasn¡¯t as if he allowed himself to bolster his ego, however. He didn¡¯t think himself completely different from those tarnished by the whims of fate. He too had his own troubles to suffer.

    As long as he was a denizen of the cold ground within such a cruel world, even he was no better than an illiterate rotting fool.

    He stretched out a hand towards the sky, blocking out the lettering of the sign in the foreground as he tried to grasp at the stormy clouds to no avail. Pulling his hand away, the lettering on the sign came back into view, and he read it haphazardly as he passed it by.

    It spelt out, in thick sprawling text- ¡®Cobblers Street¡¯.

    Despite its amiable name, one who traveled along it with no prior knowledge would be shocked to realise that most all of those who lived within Cobblers Street wore no shoes.

    It was a street where those without a home would stray, stay, and die. It was a street where no business sought to open, where those with minute amounts of fortune were sure to stay away from, and where a single monastery rested silently on a hill at the end of its winding cobble path.

    Still, because of the Monastery, and because of the previous Father¡¯s kindness, he had been allowed the boots on his feet that had been repaired and refurbished many times over, now cracked and worn in appearance.

    It was, as Father Benedict would put it, the ¡®sun within a cruel world¡¯. There was hope in all things. Lumi¨¨re couldn¡¯t understand his view, no matter how many times Father Benedict would repeat it. How could you enjoy something when your entire life revolved around survival? He was a practical man. He couldn¡¯t believe that someone with nothing at all, like the Dwindlers, could afford to enjoy their lives. He thought it was a stupid ideal to tell them that hope existed when fate actively worked against them.

    ¡°Good afternoon, Mr. Croft.¡± A man spoke suddenly from beside him, Lumi¨¨re not realising he had been there as he lost himself in thought.

    Turning to face the bodiless voice, he was greeted by two figures. The one who had spoken out had stark grey hair and emerald green eyes. The second trailing behind him had cloud-white hair and light blue irises hidden behind a silver monocle, with sharp black tattoos underneath his eyes.

    He recognised the former as Eamon Stroud, and the latter as Adonis Trinder. They were underlings of a small crime organisation that operated out of Cobbler¡¯s Street. It was, after all, a place where no one would willingly go, and so it was the perfect place for them to stage their operations.

    ¡°So, will you be paying the toll today?¡± Eamon spoke with a grin, extending his palm as if greeding his emptied wallet.

    ¡°You know as well as I that I have nothing, Mr. Stroud.¡± Lumi¨¨re smiled softly. ¡°What little I do have, apart from necessities, goes to the church so that the wretches that live on this street may eat. Would you wish to take away the food of a starving child? I didn¡¯t know the ideals of the Blackfeather Group had been twisted to this extent.¡± Of course, this was a lie. He still had the collections from the attendants of the show hall tucked away in a hidden pocket in his coat. Just because he was someone who swindled others didn¡¯t mean he should allow himself to be swindled in return.

    Eamon¡¯s brows furrowed, and he let out an audible ¡®tsk¡¯. ¡°Well, forget it. I¡¯m just messing with you, anyway.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re looked towards Adonis, who with a calm expression, trailed in the background like a loyal dog. He tipped his top hat towards the man, and Adonis quickly blushed and averted his gaze.

    ¡°Why are you so dirty, Mr. Croft?¡± Eamon asked of the magician. Lumi¨¨re had been too lost in his thoughts to notice that during the fight against the monster, his clothes had become covered in mud and debris. The blood had been no issue. His coat was a dark-black colour for that very purpose. Still, it was clear that it had been soiled to a great degree.

    ¡®Damn it, I forgot something as simple as this¡­ will Sister Alinde and Father Benedict notice this?¡¯

    Suddenly, shadows overtook the street bathed in lamplight. A large silhouette appeared behind the two, with eyes gleaming in the darkness like two rubies.

    ¡°I told you two time and time again.¡± The silhouette scowled. ¡°No Sisters, no Father, and no Magician shall be held up. Stop wasting his time with your nonsense.¡±

    The two underlings looked up with surprise towards the towering shadowy figure, their gazes darkening with anxiety as he spoke. Illuminated by the lamplight, the form of his carefully sculpted face with deep cheekbones came into view. He had midnight-black hair, bright red irises, and soft sepia skin. It was Constantine Adler, the leader of the Blackfeather Group.

    The tall man grabbed hold of Eamon¡¯s collar, lifting him high into the air as he looked down towards Lumi¨¨re. He wasn¡¯t nearly a giant, but he was surely taller than the magician by many heads.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about them, Mr. Croft.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Adler, it¡¯s no problem at all.¡± Lumi¨¨re smiled dejectedly. ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you again. Were you able to find your sister?¡±

    Constantine shook his head sadly, his gaze mellowing as he spoke.

    ¡°Valerie is still missing. It¡¯s been two weeks, so our Blackfeather Group has lost hope¡­¡±

    Constantine¡¯s lips curled up humorously, and in a joking manner, he continued.

    ¡°By any chance, do you have any magic that can help us out?¡±

    The show magician shrugged while shaking his head.

    ¡°Sadly, I only deal in doves and flames,¡± Lumi¨¨re spoke with pity in his voice. ¡°But, I have two human eyes capable of watching the world, so I¡¯ll keep a lookout for your sister in the coming days. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be found, so don¡¯t let your heart soften up too much.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re stepped close beside Constantine, still looking onwards as he spoke softly into his ear.

    ¡°You¡¯re a leader of many, and the only glue that keeps this street afloat. Do not let this matter ruin you, Mr. Adler. Family is important, but you have even greater responsibilities to maintain.¡± Lumi¨¨re said seriously. ¡°The church can feed the Dwindlers, but only you can sustain order in this lawless street.¡±

    Constantine¡¯s eyes widened for a moment but quickly returned to a serene and calm state as he smiled assuredly. He simply nodded towards Lumi¨¨re, and leaving him behind, dragged Eamon on the ground as Adonis trailed quickly behind them. Before long, he turned his head back towards Lumi¨¨re, who was still looking at him with pity and spoke in a gruff voice.

    ¡°May the Veridian star guide you.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re waved his hand in objection before showing off an embarrassed smile.

    ¡°You know I¡¯m not that devoted to the church. What star would choose to shine for me?¡± Lumi¨¨re laughed.

    Constantine smirked, and his laugh became a huff of breath, so he turned back around and continued walking towards the towering multi-layered streets of the lower borough stacks.

    ¡®That man is your ¡®sun¡¯ in a cruel world, Father Benedict. He is the hope you want to preach about.¡¯ Lumi¨¨re teased inwardly. ¡®Although, I¡¯m sure you wouldn¡¯t readily think the same of a crime boss.¡¯

    The Peacekeepers of Leiden rarely ventured into the lower borough. It was a place of crime, but as long as that crime stayed out of the middle and high boroughs, it was no matter they concerned themselves with. The entire population of the lower borough could die off, and it would have been a relief to them. Such chaos that tarnished their ideals of order was nothing more than nuisance.

    In place of an organised police force, the citizens of Etten-Leur and Cobbler¡¯s street relied on Constantine Adler and his Blackfeather Group to maintain a semblance of order. Within the crime-ridden lower borough, rules still remained, and it was up to them to enforce them.

    For years, due to the cooperation of the monastery on Cobbler¡¯s street and its proximity to the headquarters of the Blackfeather Group, as well as Constantine Adler¡¯s and his sister Valerie¡¯s love for magic shows, Lumi¨¨re had become a close friend to him. This meant not only that Constantine constantly looked after the wellbeing of the magician, but that he was always looking to assist the monastery in their endeavours to help the Dwindlers of the lower borough.

    Soon, Lumi¨¨re came to a broad grassy hillside in which the light of the lilac moon shone brightly, bathing the monastery in bright colours.

    Stepping up the steps of the cobblestone pathway towards the Monastery¡¯s front door, Lumi¨¨re let out a sigh of relief, brushing the excess dirt off of his coat.

    Its stone architecture, although worn by centuries of age, was brilliant in its design. While he knew nothing of the mathematics and artisan¡¯s craftsmanship that went into building it, the Monastery of the Crown of Thorns within Cobblers Street was a spectacle. The brick towers on each end of the monastery stretched as high as a tree, the right-most tower holding up a large bronze bell that would ring out during sunrise, midday, and sunset. Of course, the nun in charge of ringing the bell was hard of hearing. It was unfortunate irony.

    Because it was after sunset, the noise within the monastery had all but died down. In its many rooms, and upon its wooden floors, all who could fit were given space to sleep through the cold night, and a hot meal to warm their emptied, usually-frail stomachs. The rest bundled themselves together on the hillside, trying to stick close together to avoid the chill of the night.

    So quietly, as to not wake anyone up, Lumi¨¨re rested a hand upon the unlocked, rickety doorknob made of chilled copper, and crept with silent feet into the monastery.

    ¡®Finally, I¡¯m home.¡¯

    Lumi¨¨re crept past the bodies of the sleeping Dwindlers, up the staircase to the right of the main hall. It was cast in darkness, not a thing visible to his eyes. Still, he had spent enough years within the monastery¡¯s interior to be able to navigate off of memory alone. When he had reached the second floor, he walked down the hall, less cautious of making noise, and entered the bathroom to the left. He reached up above him and turned the knob on an electric wall lamp mounted with shoddy brass fittings.

    In recent times, the Church of Thorns had begun to renovate every monastery, abbey, and cathedral in majour cities. The monastery on Cobbler¡¯s street had been one of the last to receive electrical innovation, but it came around eventually. Often times, when the weather grew bad, as it usually was, the electricity would fail to function. Luckily for Lumi¨¨re, that was not one of those nights.

    He made his way over to the sink, turning the faucet handle and allowing the ice-cold water to flow out. He washed the dirt off of his face and neck and let out a sigh of relief. While the wounds on his arm and leg still stung, he decided not to deal with them for the time-being. The knife given to him by Thomas Hawthorne had looked relatively clean, and if the teeth of the human-amalgamation had carried any disease, it was likely that cleaning the wound any further than he already had would do nothing more for him.

    As Lumi¨¨re looked at himself in the cracked mirror of the bathroom, he felt a shiver go down his spine. He grimaced, staring at himself in the mirror.

    The ¡®him¡¯ staring back at him was smiling.

    As Lumi¨¨re saw the sight of the figure that resembled him, his vision grew dark, and he soon after fell unconscious.

 Chapter 5: Morning Greetings

    He suddenly woke up in a bed, unaware of his demise, which he thought might have been a little bit better than continuing with such a dreary life.

    ¡®What was that thing? How did I make it into bed? Is it possible that I was just hallucinating? I must have been tired¡­ I suppose I did fight for my life that day¡­¡¯

    Sunlight gleamed through a small stained-glass window at the edge of the room, bathing the once-polished wooden floor in a bright yellow glow. Lifting a hand over his eyes, Lumi¨¨re sat up in the bed he had awoken in, and knew that he was still alive because of it.

    The red sun meant he was still a denizen of a cruel world. He was still a liar, a terrible person. If he was still alive, then it meant he was still the servant of an evil deity. He knew it hadn¡¯t been a dream. He still felt the aching pain of the wounds on his arm and leg.

    Placing his hands against his cheeks, he pulled down on his skin as if to tear away the fatigue from his eyelids. Despite the continent being in its age of constant rainfall in the weather cycle, his skin had nearly dried out, so dragging against it felt like rubbing his fingers against paper, and so he felt amused.

    ¡°You¡¯re awake, finally.¡± A voice said jovially.

    Lumi¨¨re glanced to his side to see a woman dressed in stark-black robes and a headdress that covered the entirety of her hair, except for a small strand of blonde that fell down her forehead.

    ¡°What is it to you, Sister Alinde?¡± Lumi¨¨re sighed out loud.

    ¡°Now, it means you can help with the morning service.¡± She smiled, her head tilting to the side. ¡°Father Benedict already has his hands full, yet he still makes time to feed the hungry every morning. Caladan and Carlisle have busied themselves with cleaning every morning, and Sister Hildegarde is growing weary with old age each passing day. If you¡¯re going to keep living here, shouldn¡¯t you help out with the day-to-day tasks?¡±

    Although her expression was full of pious happiness, Lumi¨¨re could tell that her smile was full of some sort of teasing trickery. She was like a loving, caring devil.

    ¡°Is raising money for the hungry not good enough to pay off my moral debts to this place?¡± Lumi¨¨re sighed. He was still wearing his dirtied coat from the night before, so he reached into a hidden interior pocket and procured the money he had swindled from his audience. He then handed it to the Sister, who accepted it curiously. When she peered inside, her eyes widened.

    ¡°How did you obtain this much in such a short period of time? With this- we could feed the hungry meat for a week! Do you know how long it¡¯s been since they¡¯ve had meat? They¡¯ll be so glad to hear of this!¡±

    Reaching into the singular pocket her robes had, she tucked away the money and then pulled out a pair of circular black-framed spectacles, placing them softly on Lumi¨¨re¡¯s blinded face. She ruffled a hand through his dark-brown curls. His dull greyish-blue irises expanded, and from his perspective, he could begin to see her face clearly. She waltzed about the room for a bit, her long black robes shifting with each step.

    ¡®When did I lose my glasses? Was it her that got me into bed late at night?¡¯ Lumi¨¨re¡¯s face paled. ¡®I hope she didn¡¯t discover my wounds. Seeing as I¡¯m still dressed in my clothes from the night before, it¡¯s unlikely¡­¡¯

    ¡°You forget so many important things¡­¡± Sister Alinde sighed aloud. ¡°I have to thank the Goddess you¡¯re still in one piece, don¡¯t I?¡±

    ¡®I wouldn¡¯t blame the Goddess for my survival¡­ that¡¯s surely all my doing. Well, maybe it¡¯s also the doing of Lord Sinner as well¡­¡¯ Lumi¨¨re grimaced internally.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you disallowed from having pockets?¡± Lumi¨¨re asked of her in a surprised tone.

    That was a practice of the Goddess of Thorns, disallowing material possession in such a way. In the eyes of the core tenets, it was to be free of lust and greed.

    ¡°Perhaps the Goddess told me to have pockets, so that you may be spared the trouble of faulty eyesight.¡± Sister Alinde winked in return.

    He let out a sigh, and his focus returned to sitting up in bed.

    Lumi¨¨re¡¯s whole body felt like the sludge that pooled at the edge of the street in the afternoon rain. As he sat at the edge of his bed, which had been stuffed with straw to keep it soft and warm, his legs which fell off the side felt weak and limp.

    Yet, as he placed the back of his hand against his dull-aching forehead, he could not seem to recall the day prior.

    ¡°How long did I sleep, Sister Alinde?¡± Lumi¨¨re asked of her.

    ¡°No more than a night, which I¡¯m sure is more sleep than you deserve.¡±

    ¡®This woman¡­¡¯ Lumi¨¨re cursed in his mind. ¡®Doesn¡¯t she know how hard I work to support this place?¡¯

    ¡°Where¡¯s Father Benedict?¡± Lumi¨¨re asked of the coy nun, a dozen more questions piled up in his mind that he chose to keep tucked away.

    As she walked towards the door, placing her soft, long fingers on its bronze handle, she turned towards him and spoke simply.

    ¡°Out on the hillside, as usual.¡± She replied. ¡°The sun has just barely risen, after all.¡±

    As soon as she had finished her reply, she did not leave immediately, hanging at the side of the door with a longing in her gaze as she stared at the sleepy-eyed liar who sat softly on the bed.

    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    ¡°Are you going to keep standing there? Do you want to see me dress that badly?¡± Lumi¨¨re chided with jokingly.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing I haven¡¯t seen before.¡± She winked once more, her face growing slightly blushed, before shutting the door behind her and leaving the magician in the quiet reverence of his room.

    Without wasting any time, Lumi¨¨re immediately ran to the chipped wardrobe which sat in the corner of his room. It had been lined carefully by him with lavender sachets with the flower petals collected from the garden to protect against moths.

    He pulled a ruffled white shirt over himself, with black cropped trousers held up by suspenders, his long black coat with chipped buttons along its sides, and a black flat cap nestled atop his head of messy hair.

    Eyeing the simple polished wooden table at his bedside, Lumi¨¨re debated inwardly before opening its singular drawer and retrieving a silvery glistening item from its contents. It was a simple pocket watch with a singular engraving on its surface; a single sentence that read ¡®Everything is okay¡¯.

    He tucked it gently in his front pocket after winding it with a solemn, reminiscent expression.

    Then, he stepped out of his room, walking down the monastery¡¯s staircase until he reached the main prayer hall. At the end of the large room decorated with ornate stained windows, a large statue with flowing locks of hair caught up in a crown of thorns stood regally. The statue, which resembled a woman, was crying black tears, a symbol of madness within the orthodox church¡¯s legend.

    As Lumi¨¨re stared at the statue, pangs of fear resonated in his heart. ¡®I wonder if the Goddess knows of the ordeal I¡¯ve tied myself up in. Will she inform her Saints of my presence? Will an archangel of the Lady of Thorns come to strike me down?¡¯

    Lumi¨¨re let out a sigh.

    ¡®And if Sister Alinde or Father Benedict were to hear of this, what would they think? Would they try to reason with my existence, or would they bend to their ideals and start to hate me?¡¯

    Ainsworth Benedict had been the head Priest within the Cobbler¡¯s Street monastery for five years, after his father, the head Priest, had suddenly been stricken with illness and subsequently passed away. Ten years prior to the death of Ainsworth Benedict¡¯s father, Lumi¨¨re and Elise Alinde had arrived. Elise had previously had problems with her memory, failing to recall the first ten years of her life, and Lumi¨¨re had come dealing with problems of his own.

    So, for the next fifteen years, they had grown up alongside each other. They had come to know of each other¡¯s intricacies, likes and dislikes, experiences, and hopes and dreams. Still, recently, it felt like there had been a divide between him and them.

    While Elise and Ainsworth had gone on to devote themselves to the Goddess in order to thank the church for raising them, and to follow his father''s legacy, Lumi¨¨re had grown averse to serving the Goddess of Thorns. He could not understand why such a kind deity would allow the constant horrors around them to occur.

    The starvation of the Dwindlers, the casualties of war, the constant strugglr to survive- he couldn''t understand why they would praise a Goddess that didn''t seem to care.

    That was why he called himself a half-believer of the Goddess of Thorns. He trusted in her existence, but not her benevolence.

    In fact, he had grown to despise anything involving the Orthodox churches. He hated even more that it was a reason for everyone to be content with their surroundings. As Father Benedict would say, the ''sun in the cruel world'' was hope, hope born from the idea that one day the benevolence of some uncaring deity would make their world better.

    Of course, Lumi¨¨re thought that that eventuality would never happen.

    So he had resolved himself to change everyone''s lives for them, whether they wanted it or not. That was why he had begun to delve past his position as an entertainer, seeking more from the audience, even if it meant manipulating their hearts. From Lumi¨¨re''s perspective, those who could afford to see him perform were already well-off. Swindling a bit of pocket change from them was nothing, especially if it benefited those around him.

    Lumi¨¨re let out another sigh, turning his attention to the twin silhouettes that sprinted back and forth between the pews, holding out his hand as one past by him. His fingers gripped tightly onto the collar of a shirt, and he lifted the silhouette up in the air with a stern look on his face.

    "Why are you making so much noise, Carlisle? Are you making your brother participate in one of your ''tricks'' again?"

    The small, round face in front of Lumi¨¨re''s began to pout. "You said that the first principle of a magician is to distract! Haven''t you been adequately distracted?"

    "Yes, but you''ve already forgotten. The second principle is that your distraction must contain a leading purpose. What is the goal of your distraction, Carlisle, besides being a nuisance to our guests?" Lumi¨¨re critisised the child he held up in the air.

    "I''m sorry, Lumi¨¨re..." Carlisle apologised. "I just wanted to be like you..."

    Lumi¨¨re set the child down, sighing as he reached into his back pocket. "Do you know what the greatest purpose of being a magician is, Carlisle?"

    "Is it to be loved, and to be showered with gifts?" Carlisle''s gaze grew curious.

    "No, not that." Lumi¨¨re laughed. "Above all, the purpose of being a magician- an entertainer, is to make people smile. If a magician forgets this key principle, then none of the following principles matter at all."

    From his back pocket, Lumi¨¨re produced a handful of sweets wrapped in thin cellophane, offering them to Carlisle. The other boy, Caladan, immediately ran up beside them, like he was a magnet to anything made of sugar. The two twins sported pitch-black heads of messied hair, and emerald-green eyes that made it impossible to miss them in the dark. Trailing behind Caladan, a golden-haired dog wagged its tail happily.

    "Are you training Renlause well, Caladan?" Lumi¨¨re smiled.

    The boy nodded his head succinctly. "Yes, thank you, Lumi¨¨re!"

    Recently, Lumi¨¨re had begun to notice that Caladan, unlike his brother, lacked a sense of purpose. While Carlisle had begun his pursuit into the world of illusion, Caladan had been aimless in his day-to-day life. So, Lumi¨¨re had used his connections in the show hall to source out a puppy for Caladan to laud over. It had seemingly filled the boy''s day with smiles, so Lumi¨¨re had considered it a success.

    Still, it meant one more mouth to feed. It meant Lumi¨¨re had to work even harder. However, as he had said before, cultivating smiles was the purpose of a magician. If he couldn''t do that much, he had no right to stand on the stage each night.

    After he had finished conversing with the two boys, he reminded them of their duties within the monastery. They had come to the monastery the year previous, same as Lumi¨¨re and Sister Alinde had been taken in so many years ago. That was why Lumi¨¨re was sure to treat them with both sweetness and sternness. They both reminded him all too much of himself.

    Lumi¨¨re stepped out of the monastery''s front door, greeting the cold spring air with a calm, pensive expression. At the edge of the grassy hilltop, past the garden''s canopy of trees, dozens of men, women, and children in ragged tattered clothes had gathered. They all sat and ate from carved wooden bowls, with a mixture of weariness and satisfaction on their faces. They were the Dwindlers of Cobbler''s street, who had gathered near the monastery to partake in the food that Lumi¨¨re''s swindled money would purchase.

    He felt no disdain for them. He only felt a wish to wash away their weariness. He had only hoped that one day, something would begin to change.

    ''I wonder, now that I''ve been gifted power by Lord Sinner, can I make that change myself...?''

 Chapter 6: Of mice and men, and of the men who eat the mice

    A chill morning wind brushed against the grass, so Lumi¨¨re pulled the collar of his coat over his neck, pressing it against his pale cheek.

    After a short walk across the hillside, he stood before a tall man with long white hair that fell down his shoulders. He wore a black long coat of the same fashion as Lumi¨¨re¡¯s, with white robes tucked carefully underneath. Around his neck, he wore an iron pendant given to each priest by the council of the holy church- a crown of thorns, representing the Goddess of Thorns.

    Although, unlike other priests who preached their words around the city-state of Leiden, Father Benedict was not old and pale-skinned, covered in wrinkles, and frail. His skin was clear and silky, and he could still move about well. It was because the priest, Father Ainsworth Benedict, was nearly the same age as Lumi¨¨re, somewhere around twenty-six. Not that Lumi¨¨re could remember his exact age.

    While they had grown up together, and despite Lumi¨¨re having kept a close eye on his life, he did not know exactly how Ainsworth had become a priest at such a young age. He wondered if it was some sentiment of the church to retain their family¡¯s control over the monastery on Cobbler¡¯s street, Ainsworth¡¯s father having been the previous head priest.

    Still, Lumi¨¨re treated his ordained title with a modicum of respect. Even if they were friends, it was something Ainsworth poured the whole of his heart into, and Lumi¨¨re would never choose to demean that.

    ¡°Father Benedict,¡± Lumi¨¨re spoke with a gentle tone of voice, trying desperately to stave off the yawn that hung upon his lips. ¡°Good morning.¡±

    ¡°Good morning, Lumi¨¨re.¡± Father Benedict spoke in return. ¡°Are you feeling all right now?¡±

    ¡°All right¡­?¡± Lumi¨¨re responded sheepishly as he ruffled a hand through his messed hair, ¡°What do you mean-¡°

    His words were cut short.

    Suddenly, his mind flashed with images grey in colour, as if he was watching the scenery of his life¡¯s events one by one. Familiar whispers resounded in his mind, booming in the distance with a veracity that made his ears want to bleed simply to drown out the noise. In the distance, he swore he could see himself, cloaked in a coat made of midnight-black feathers, with hair as black as shadow, and a sinister grin on his face.

    His brain shook vigorously, and for a moment, he seemed frozen in place.

    As the whispers faded away into the distance, and colour returned to his vision, he looked back towards Father Benedict and smiled softly.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m doing fine, Father Benedict.¡±

    Such was the spun tale of a liar.

    ¡®Am I hallucinating still, or is this one of the costs of the Lord Sinner¡¯s power? Have I become a crazed person overnight? I¡¯ll have to remember to ask Thomas Hawthorne about it when he returns.¡¯

    ¡°You terrified us last night, fainting in the hallway.¡± The Father shook his head. ¡°Honestly, I can¡¯t tell whether you¡¯re ill, or a fool sometimes. We were barely able to get you into bed.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re took a seat beside the Father in the grass, his mind filled with countless thoughts that seemed to weave over one another, like a haze that obscured his rationality.

    Still spooning warm porridge into the shakily extended wooden bowls of those that had gathered, Father Benedict turned towards him.

    ¡°It¡¯s a wonder that we can give out so much kindness to this world, isn¡¯t it, my friend?¡± Father Benedict spoke exuberantly. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you and your hard work.¡±

    ¡°This is the world of the Goddess¡­?¡± Lumi¨¨re spoke grudgingly, staring at the hillside with sleepy eyes where many had gathered just to receive a singular meal within their day. It was the only one that was somewhat guaranteed to them, all because of the Father¡¯s kindness, and because Lumi¨¨re had sought employment for that purpose. He wondered often why the greater Orthodoxy didn¡¯t support the endeavours of the monastery¡¯s in the lower borough, of which there was several.

    He had come to the conclusion that the benevolence they preached as will of the Goddess of Thorns was not benevolence related to kindness. The Goddess only cared that people were alive, and not necessarily that their lives were pleasant.

    ¡°The sun still shines, doesn¡¯t it, Lumi¨¨re?¡± Father Benedict smiled. ¡°Isn¡¯t this the beauty of the Goddess¡¯s work? There¡¯s only so much she can do, I¡¯m sure¡­ that¡¯s why she¡¯s allowed us to be so charitable, with what little we have ourselves.¡±

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    ¡°If I chop the hands off of a man, and give him a slice of cake, how will he eat it?¡±

    The Father looked at Lumi¨¨re with a confused expression, and noticing this, Lumi¨¨re bit at his lip as he spoke once more.

    ¡°The aggrieved¡­ how can they afford space in their hearts to enjoy the sun, when their world is already this cruel?¡± Lumi¨¨re said in a harsh tone of voice.

    ¡°Perhaps that is our test, Lumi¨¨re.¡± Father Benedict spoke with furrowed eyes, setting down the ladle as he paid full attention to the magician. ¡°Why do you feel we¡¯re so entitled to an easy life?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it to be simple entitlement, but we revere the Goddess so much, for what little we¡¯ve been given¡­ why is it up to us to uplift our people? Why does the Goddess do nothing to help?¡±

    Father Benedict remained silent.

    ¡®Should we be so satisfied with ¡®more than nothing¡¯?¡¯

    ¡®As for the Dwindlers¡­¡¯ Lumi¨¨re thought as he turned his attention towards those who had gathered upon the hillside.

    ¡°They spend their whole lives outside¡­ don¡¯t you think that for once, they would like to enjoy their breakfast inside?¡± Lumi¨¨re asked of him.

    ¡°If so many people were to eat inside at the same time, the monastery would very quickly start to smell of porridge, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± Father Benedict laughed suddenly, his mood shifting. ¡°Such a thing¡­ is it really that befitting of the Goddess¡¯s status? Moreover, can we even fit them all?¡±

    He looked a little dejected as he spoke.

    ¡®So even you have your boundaries, you holy bastard¡­¡¯ Lumiere sighed inwardly.

    Since the blood-red sun had come up, out of their burrows and hiding places, many creatures ran about on the hillside. Most of them were mice, ones likely carrying disease and plague that would bring about sickness in any who interacted with them. They were disdainful, but in Lumi¨¨re¡¯s heart, as long as they kept a distance, they were slightly adorable.

    ¡®It¡¯s animals alone that can move my heart, but why must they stay so close to me¡­?¡¯ He lampooned within his thoughts as he moved his feet about to avoid the scurrying creatures.

    ¡°There are so many mice around here¡­¡± Lumi¨¨re groaned as he shook off the furry creature that tried desperately to climb up his boot.

    ¡°Perhaps we should start eating them as well.¡± Father Benedict laughed jokingly.

    ¡°We eat them.¡± A man said suddenly, appearing behind the two.

    There was a sudden chill on the back of Lumi¨¨re¡¯s neck- as if the rain-bitten air had grown a frosty attitude. All the hairs on his arms stood up, and he could feel as if there was an astute danger present behind him.

    As Lumi¨¨re and Father Benedict turned around, they met the sight of a man cloaked completely in black, as if the sun was an enemy he tried desperately to hide himself from. He towered over them, seemingly twice as tall as they were sitting down, and the eyes he peered down upon them with were blood red, almost glowing like the crimson sun.

    ¡°And you don¡¯t get sick?¡± Lumi¨¨re spoke sheepishly, trying to keep a friendly demeanour between himself and the man while he tried to accurately measure his intentions.

    ¡°If we don¡¯t get sick from eating them, then it is a good day.¡± The man spoke once more. His tone was gravelly and still, unwavering in its monotone fashion. ¡°In that place, dying of sickness is also a good day.¡±

    ¡°Then why eat them if there¡¯s such a risk?¡± Lumi¨¨re spoke, already knowing of the answer.

    ¡®And by ¡®place¡¯, does he mean Etten-leur? If he speaks like that, then perhaps he¡¯s from the quarantine zone?¡¯

    ¡°The alternative is starving.¡± The cloaked man shook his head.

    ¡°Are you here for a warm meal?¡± The Father asked of him suddenly. ¡°Or, is it another matter you wish to levy?¡±

    The blood-red eyes that peered from underneath the cowl seemed to shimmer with confusion at his question.

    ¡°Why am I here¡­?¡± The man murmured. ¡°Why¡­ why am I here¡­?¡±

    Suddenly, Lumi¨¨re felt his heart drop. Staring at the man, he froze. Within the depths of the man¡¯s heart, he could sense a glimmer, but also a darkness. It was a shining star of terror, of true despair. Lumi¨¨re¡¯s hand navigated towards his back pocket. He had seen something akin to it only once before.

    He had seen that sight of fear when fighting the human amalgamation.

    The placed a hand suddenly against his head, as if pain rang out intensely within his mind. His steps staggered, and Lumi¨¨re shot up suddenly to support the man so he would not fall to the ground. His body closed the distance between Father Benedict and the hooded man, in case anything were to occur.

    After a short time, the man shook off Lumi¨¨re¡¯s grasp and then bowed to him as if to thank him. The darkness emanating from his chest gradually began to dissipate, as if the man no longer felt fear. It looked as if he had returned to normal in an instant.

    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ve suddenly remembered something. I have to go. Thank you for your help.¡± The man spoke as he bowed.

    Immediately after, he adjourned from the hillside and disappeared into the lonely and silent cobblers street. Lumi¨¨re watched him with worried eyes as he went.

    ¡®He reminded me of that beast, but he didn¡¯t look particularly strange¡­ why are these strange occurrences following me? Is this another cost of having entered the world of magic? Will Father Benedict and Sister Alinde be in danger because of me? I¡¯ll have to keep an eye out in the future¡­ this really is troublesome.¡¯

    The man¡¯s words reminded Lumi¨¨re of something suddenly.

    ¡®Ah, it¡¯s about time, isn¡¯t it?¡¯ Lumi¨¨re thought suddenly, his eyes widening. ¡®There aren¡¯t many clocks outside around here, so I didn¡¯t even think of paying attention to the time¡­ I¡¯m going to be late.¡¯

    ¡°I have to go, Father Benedict.¡± Lumi¨¨re smiled, turning towards the priest as he spoke. ¡°I won¡¯t be back before sunset, so don¡¯t feel the need to wait for my return.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll always pray to the Goddess for your safe return, so I need not wait idly for such a thing.¡± The Father spoke in return assuredly.

    Although, it all but assured Lumi¨¨re, whose belief had waned in recent years. So, steeling his heart towards the world, he stepped away from the hillside, his long coat fluttering in the morning wind as he confronted life with a stern expression.

 Chapter 7: Wilting Rainfall

    While the morning had started with the warmth of bouts of sunshine, the rain had quickly subdued the kind weather and started pouring in droves onto the busy street where the show hall sat.

    Despite the weather, Lumi¨¨re wasn¡¯t bothered. It was a common occurrence in Leiden, almost a permanent occurrence.

    Lumi¨¨re had decided to make his way down to the show hall in the middle borough in order to secure his payment. While the Madame had spoken about refusing him his pay, he knew she would never truly do such a thing. After all, it hadn¡¯t been the first time he had pulled such a trick on his audience. He was used to her anger, even thinking it justified.

    However, the attendant who was in charge of handing out the imbursement for performances only worked certain hours during the day, so he had to hurry.

    To go without pay for too long would have meant death for someone without means, and for the monastery that had taken him in when he was a small child, it meant the deaths of many others. He had received the donation money from his audience prior, but it wasn¡¯t infinite. There were always expenses, which he relished.

    To him, that monastery was a godless place- no more than a building with four walls and a roof. He had chosen to treat it as such. Thus, he had no apprehensions with working until the skin on his heels had hardened from standing up all day in front of an audience. He often fell ill from dehydration, and would fall unconscious in his changing room, but he still kept to it.

    In that way, he would not support the Goddess who had brought forth such a cruel world, but he would support the Goddess¡¯s adorers whom he held dearest. The money would usually find their way into Father Benedict¡¯s hands, who, after giving a large portion of it to the main cathedral in the middle borough, would use the remaining portion to feed the Dwindlers. To try and go past the cathedral and spend the money on the Dwindlers in excess was something Lumi¨¨re was too afraid to do, however. He was sure that it would bring up some elaborate excuse for his ¡®failures to patronise the church¡¯ and would only bring trouble to Father Benedict.

    The rainfall had only worsened as he walked along the stone path, and as he watched the multitudes of horse-drawn carriages pass him by, he began to wonder about a life that was not his own. Were he to be born a noble, would he ride in such a fantastical roofed cart, free from the chill of the weather?

    Rather than his birth, was he to curse the Goddesses who left the continent of Leinshir in such a vicious cycle of weather?

    He had been born into Leiden¡¯s 5th recorded torrent cycle- bouts of rainfall that would continue for centuries on end. A hundred years prior, it had been the 5th cycle of the bloody sun, and a hundred years before that, the 4th cycle of snowfall. In the world¡¯s 20th century- a year that should have been momentous, it was tortured by constant rainfall.

    To be stuck inside such a monotonous cycle of weather was too much for Lumi¨¨re to lament, and so he ignored it in its entirety.

    As he walked, he spotted soldiers in bright-white uniforms patrolling in the rain, carrying oil lamps in their hands to spite the oncoming darkness of the cloudy weather, despite the glow of the luminescent street lamps.

    ¡®Why are there so many about today? Has something happened, or are they searching for something?¡¯ As a thought entered Lumi¨¨re¡¯s mind, he couldn¡¯t help but smirk. ¡®Perhaps the defeat of that human amalgamation has sparked worry in even the highest orders. Wouldn¡¯t that be hilarious? I would have finally managed to shake the foundation of the world.¡¯

    They were the peacekeepers of Leiden, the supposed ¡®caretakers of order¡¯. Lumi¨¨re often paid them no mind, as they seemed either too afraid, or too unbothered to journey down towards the lower borough. As long as he was dressed well enough to pose as a resident of the middle borough, it was sure that they wouldn¡¯t bother him too much.

    Before long, he came to a large building with an ornate double door acting as its entrance. Stepping through the door, he was met with the faint scent of lavender, and of the warmth of the hall that led into the showroom.

    To his right, a desk separated him and a woman in another room, its clean office interior visible over it. Shuffling through a stack of papers, a woman with bright green eyes and dark hair fluttered about the room like a hummingbird with a mission.

    ¡°Good morning, Ms. Lavant.¡±

    ¡°You say that, but it¡¯s nearly noon.¡± She smiled in return.

    With one hand, she gestured towards the mechanical clock hanging on the wall. Its hour hand had nearly struck the mid-point, which meant that several hours had passed since he had adjourned from the monastery.

    He let out a sigh. ¡°I¡¯ve come for my pay, Ms. Lavant. You would have it here, yes? Would you mind counting it out for me? There should be thirty lune included in the envelope.¡±

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it forty lune last week?¡± The attendant exclaimed. ¡°What did you do to offend the Madame this time?¡±

    ¡°I used her precious ring in a disappearing act at the end of last week¡¯s performance.¡± He winked.

    ¡°Did it truly disappear? Or was this just another of your illusions?¡±

    As long as Lumi¨¨re had worked in the show hall, Ms. Lavant had never once fallen for any of his acts. As such, she was a woman he respected most. She was someone who saw the world for what it truly was.

    Ms. Lavant turned around to shuffle over to a cabinet, where large envelopes had been separated by sheets of thick paper. She produced a large paper envelope that had been tied shut by twine and brought it over to the counter.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­¡±

    Undoing the twine on the envelope, it seemed to bulge wide with its contained material.

    She suddenly paused, peering into the envelope with a look of surprise on her face.

    ¡°Ah, it seems you truly angered the Madame this time.¡± Ms. Lavant laughed dejectedly. ¡°She¡¯s given you your pay in Trest.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re¡¯s eyes widened. Trest was the smallest measurement of currency in the Western continent. They were small, circular copper coins. Thirty Trest would have been the equivalent of one Lune, a small square-shaped iron coin.

    This meant that when counted up correctly, there were nine hundred copper coins in the large envelope that Ms. Lavant had been holding.

    Lumi¨¨re¡¯s eyebrow twitched slightly, but he kept a calm expression as he spoke once more.

    ¡°If the Madame had been so kind as to look at her hand after the act was over, she would have realised her ring had still been in her possession.¡± Lumi¨¨re sighed aloud.

    ¡®No, she might have realised it and chose to spite me regardless. That¡¯s just how the Madame operates.¡¯ Lumi¨¨re scoffed. ¡®Still, I didn¡¯t think she would actually deduct my pay. It seems that everything is changing in this world, even how people usually act.¡¯

    Accepting the envelope from the attendant, he bowed slightly, pinching at the brim of his hat as he smiled.

    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    ¡°I wish you and your family good tidings, Miss.¡± He spoke softly.

    ¡°And to you, I wish many more smiles to cross your path.¡±

    With that, he bid her a final goodbye and then adjourned from the show hall.

    Stepping back into the rain, he let out a heavy, sharp breath. He glanced down at the envelope in his hands before slipping it into an interior coat pocket.

    ¡®I cannot blame people for their cruelty when it is learned behaviour. People learn from their environments, after all. She may have lived a privileged life, unlike I, but she has suffered and struggled. I can understand that much¡­ but why must her anger come out in such petty ways?¡¯ Downtrodden, he lamented.

    Glancing up towards the stormy sky, his eyes narrowed.

    ¡®Goddesses, if you truly look down with benevolence, what should I do next? Should I turn myself in to the church like you request, or should I defy your will, and use this power I have gained for the benefit of others?¡¯

    Of course, Lumi¨¨re expected no reply. None ever came. He knew that the limited attention Deities could muster would be reserved to answer their most saintly believers. Lumi¨¨re was nowhere close to that. He knew that was how it should work, logically speaking. Still, he had always hoped that they would tell him why things happened the way they did.

    Why did he have to be the sole financial supporter of an entire group? Why did Sister Alinde lose her memories? Why did the mother and daughter get attacked in the middle borough that day?

    Why did anything ever happen at all, and why did ¡®godly¡¯ beings have no control over it, or if they did, why didn¡¯t they care? Lumi¨¨re didn¡¯t even know if his hatred was misplaced. He only knew that something needed to change.

    He tore away his gaze and continued walking down the now-bustling street. Carriages pulled by horses ploughed through the puddles that had collected in the street, and metal automatons followed their masters, creaking with each mechanical movement while carrying umbrellas above them. Lumi¨¨re recoiled a bit at the sight. For some reason, he just couldn¡¯t fathom the sight of the steel servile creatures. They were terrifying to him, husks masquerading as people.

    Before long, he reached a towering stone building. It had fantastical glass sheets along its walls, allowing the faint red sunlight that peered past the rain to creep into its halls. At its door, two attendants dressed in bright-white cloaks guarded its entry. Although, as soon as they saw the face of the magician, they bowed slightly, and then made way for him to move forward.

    He bowed simply in response and opened the door to the hall.

    Before he stepped inside, he was sure to take off his hat, shaking the remaining rainfall off of its brim before holding it at his side. Once he had stepped past the door¡¯s attendants, he hung his hat and coat on a rack beside the door and continued into the building.

    When Lumi¨¨re couldn¡¯t clear his mind, he would make his way to the Fencer¡¯s Gathering. It was an association run by one of the foremost combat experts in the entire country, a swordsmaster named Dreselle Artois. Some time ago, Lumi¨¨re had been invited to attend one of the gatherings by a coworker of his, someone who had intricate ties in the dealings of the middle borough. That was where he had discovered an innate love of his, an appeasement of the desire to perform through combat.

    Moreover, he had discovered he had a keen mind for swordsmanship.

    Like the show hall, the building that the fencer¡¯s gathering used was like a palace to him. Its roof stretched high up into the air, held high by ornate white pillars along its walls.

    As he walked through its halls, he met a familiar face. She was a woman with a stern face, that seemed to soften up as she met his gaze. So, he approached her with quiet steps, and with a small bow, he spoke aloud to her.

    ¡°Miss Faulkner, it¡¯s quite a pleasure to see you again,¡± Lumi¨¨re spoke with a kind smile.

    Artis Faulkner was a woman of bright, sun-bitten complexion. Her face was much paler than her arms, however. It was a wonder to Lumi¨¨re, that during the supposed century of rainfall, she had been able to tan her skin in such a way. The Faulkner family was of nobility, and so it was certain she lived in a wing of the massive marble palace that rested above the clouds in the high borough, tactfully avoiding the rainfall and bathing in crimson sunlight. She lived a completely opposite life to Lumi¨¨re, who dwelled in the floods of the lower borough.

    ¡°Likewise, Mr. Croft,¡± Artis spoke with a now softened expression.

    It wasn¡¯t that she was a sharp person. It was just a natural resting position of her face that caused her to seem so usually harsh. In reality, Lumi¨¨re knew Artis to be a gentle person who wasn¡¯t keen on showing off a bitter heart, at least not on purpose.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while. You skipped last week¡¯s attendance, and so I had no one worth sparring with.¡± She sighed. ¡°I would be a much better swordswoman by now if you would choose to come more than once a week.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re started walking down the hall of the building, which had arched windows on one side, looking in towards the centre of the building, which had a large circular platform in the centre meant for bouts between participants of the gathering.

    ¡°All I can afford to spare is once a week, Miss Faulkner. I am a man of no means, and so the majority of my time should be spent chasing my next meal.¡± Lumi¨¨re winked as he continued walking through the sun-strewn hall.

    She continued walking beside him, her long curly black hair bobbing up and down as she took each step.

    ¡°Then, why don¡¯t you wed me?¡± She asked suddenly.

    Lumi¨¨re turned toward the woman with a surprised, curious expression, but he did not say anything in response, so she continued.

    ¡°I¡¯m quite sure my father wouldn¡¯t be so disposed to the idea. You¡¯re not exactly of noble birth, but he¡¯s always valued skill above all¡­ and it¡¯s not as if you¡¯re the pinnacle of swordsmanship, but you can easily best anyone here¡­¡± Artis spoke with her eyes closed as if she had been thinking hard. ¡°If you do so, there would be ample time to train with me, and you certainly would never have to worry about meals¡­¡±

    It seemed as if she had thought the entire idea out thoroughly, so Lumi¨¨re did not dismiss it readily, as if to not shatter her heart.

    ¡°But doesn¡¯t that benefit you the most, Ms. Faulkner?¡± Lumi¨¨re smiled softly. ¡°I¡¯ve not once said that I mind the way my life is. While I hold some abject view of how this world is, I don¡¯t mind putting effort into my life. How can you readily assume that the easiest way would be the best for me?¡±

    ¡°Is it not the best for everyone?¡±

    ¡°Not always.¡± He responded in kind.

    ¡®Although, if I had her means, I¡¯m sure it wouldn¡¯t be too hard to help those around me¡­ but I can¡¯t accept that. I¡¯m too selfish to have it handed to me¡­ at least in that way.¡¯

    They had reached a large wooden door at the end of the hall, that had been held together by large sheets of iron and studs.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Ms. Faulkner, but at this point in my life, I¡¯m not sure that marriage is so suited to me,¡± Lumi¨¨re replied, his gaze tilted towards the ground as if contemplating.

    ¡°You¡¯re twenty-six, aren¡¯t you?¡± Artis¡¯s eyes grew curious. ¡°Isn¡¯t this the ample time for marriage?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just not sure about the idea, is all.¡± Lumi¨¨re dismissed the question with a smile.

    Artis tore her gaze away from Lumi¨¨re, and he could see that her once calm, still expression had blushed over. Suddenly, she met him face to face and spoke aloud.

    ¡°Then, why don¡¯t we duel over the matter?¡± She said with fierce eyes, her lips pursed together indignantly.

    ¡°Over the matter of eternity together- you would have us settle such a thing with a bout?¡± Lumi¨¨re said with surprise, trying desperately to hold himself away from bursting out into laughter.

    ¡®Such a performance is the mark of a magician, isn¡¯t it¡­? Even humour like this should be attempted to stave off anxiousness. Ms. Faulkner really has a knack for such a thing.¡¯

    ¡°Very well,¡± Lumi¨¨re spoke with a smile. ¡°Let¡¯s duel for it. If you win, I¡¯ll take your hand in marriage.¡±

    ¡°And if you¡¯re the winner of the bout?¡± She asked of him.

    Lumi¨¨re thought for a moment as if he hadn¡¯t considered it at all.

    ¡®While I don¡¯t care about the church itself, something that would benefit Sister Alinde and Father Benedict would be a good choice, right?¡¯

    So, he turned his gaze upwards towards the stern woman who awaited his answer.

    ¡°If I win, you¡¯ll owe me a single favour.¡± He smiled.

    In the back room past the iron-barred door was a place meant for changing. In a small wardrobe meant for him specifically, he kept an outfit he could sweat easily in without care, and a long steel blade tucked in a leather-bound sheath.

    Lumi¨¨re was not keen to carry around such a blade. While it was not fancy in any regard, it was certainly not shoddy. Lest it be stolen from him, he did not choose to carry it back to the monastery, storing it within the gathering¡¯s building. He had retained ownership of the blade gifted to him by Thomas Hawthorne, and that had been enough for him. Of course, that was a little contradictory in itself, because only a fool would rob someone with a weapon.

    Still, the simple magician was hesitant to truly harm a man who was not intent on doing much more than that. He did not seem to value his life above others, either, so he wasn¡¯t even sure that if someone came at him with the intent of killing him, he would respond in kind.

    The sword Lumi¨¨re held in his hands was one he didn¡¯t take for granted. That was because he surely couldn¡¯t have afforded a blade like it with his weekly salary. Because of his amiable skill in swordcraft, however, Lumi¨¨re had been sponsored by a nameless face, and so he was allowed such a thing.

    So, it was something he valued, but not something he had the mind to use.

    The blade was quickly tucked against his side. As he stepped out of the room into the arched hall, the white cloak he had adorned fluttered softly, and his eyes were steeled in the face of the woman who stood on the platform at the centre of the building.

    ¡°Are you ready, Ms. Faulkner?¡±

 Chapter 8: Crossing of the Genius Blade

    Soft colours spilled onto the blank-white canvas lit alight by the oil lamp in Sister Alinde¡¯s room. Her hand didn¡¯t shake in the slightest, and her eyes furrowed as she stared at the product of her work. A soft, pleased breath escaped her lips as her gaze fell away, placing the brush she held to the side as she stood up.

    Her usual clothes worn when working in the monastery had been hot-pressed to clear its wrinkles away, laid out on the edge of her bed to dry, and so her bright pale-blonde curls fell against her shoulders as she looked over the painting before her.

    She had made no progress on her work. Sister Alinde had been too lost in thought to consider touching the brush to the canvas. When she wasn¡¯t focused, she was prone to ruining her hard work.

    ¡®You spend so much time trying to help everyone around you in your own way¡­ but you don¡¯t understand why they don¡¯t wish you would do more¡­¡¯ Sister Alinde bit at her lip as she thought. ¡®Lumi¡­ do you really not care that you¡¯re being destroyed from the inside by the things you try to understand? Why do you have to act like the world is something you alone can carry? Where does that drive in your heart arise from¡­?¡¯

    More and more had she begun to worry about the magician who slept only a room away. She could carry a teasing attitude and cheer him up when he was saddened, but it was ruining her to know that she couldn¡¯t help him with the things that truly affected him. She felt so superficial.

    ¡®You voice your concerns, but they¡¯re never about yourself¡­ I wish you would stop trying to fix the world, but I know I would never be able to convince you of that. Is it all I can do to hold you tight and wish you the best?¡¯

    Sister Alinde set her paintbrush down, and picking up the robes which fell to her ankles, stepped out of her bedroom and entered the monastery¡¯s main prayer hall. Father Benedict sat in a pew facing the simple statue of the Crown of Thorns, the Goddess of Ivy, at the edge of the hall. She took a seat beside him, and after he had finished his reverences, he looked up towards her. He had a cup of steaming tea beside him, and he took a small sip as he awaited Sister Alinde¡¯s words, who made it clear in her mannerisms that she wanted to talk.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you feel like Lumi is¡­ smiling more?¡±

    Father Benedict didn¡¯t look over at Sister Alinde as she spoke, his face having soured in the darkness. He simply raised his cup to his lips again, taking a large gulp of the hot liquid. ¡°I have.¡±

    ¡°So, what should we do about it?¡± Sister Alinde asked.

    After he set down his cup, he responded quietly.

    ¡°Have you ever thought about leaving the church, Elise?¡± Father Benedict turned to look towards the statue at the end of the hall. ¡°You¡¯ve spent your time here because you can¡¯t remember your past, but it doesn¡¯t mean you have to stick with it just because it¡¯s all you know.¡±

    Her face lit up with abject surprise as she heard his words.

    ¡°Why would I ever think about doing such a thing?¡± Sister Alinde shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ve devoted my life to the Goddess¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not speaking to you as a priest. I¡¯m speaking to you as your friend.¡±

    ¡°Still, I enjoy my life¡­¡± She shook her head.

    ¡°But you would enjoy life with ¡®him¡¯ more, wouldn¡¯t you?¡±

    Sister Alinde grew blushed, and her glance furtively shot away to admire the stone wall beside her.

    ¡°As for Lumi¨¨re¡­¡± Father Benedict continued, ¡°he¡¯s smiling now because he¡¯s lost, and he¡¯s desperately trying to find a way forward. The Goddess isn¡¯t everyone¡¯s path, and that¡¯s why I asked you. Just like Lumi¨¨re, you might one day find yourself realising you haven¡¯t really settled down.¡±

    Sister Alinde couldn¡¯t think of a response, so she just sat idly beside the priest.

    ¡°Lumi¨¨re¡¯s smile is his mask. It¡¯s the only way he can feel safe, hiding in plain sight. He¡¯s trying to follow his heart, but his path has been so twisted by his past that he doesn¡¯t really know how to anticipate the future. He¡¯s trying to help the people around him, but because he¡¯s spent so little time confronting his own emotions, he can¡¯t really understand theirs. So, until he knows where he wants to be, let¡¯s just be supportive of him. It¡¯s something he has to do himself, without our help, anyway.¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡± Sister Alinde agreed with a smile.

    Father Benedict clasped his hands together suddenly, his eyes closing tight. Noticing this, Sister Alinde followed his actions and listened closely. His lips parted, and his utterances were grandiose and pious.

    ¡°In reverence to the Crown of Thorns, the Goddess, Lady of Ivy, whose bountiful hearth we warm ourselves with, your love doth shine. To the symbol of grace and divinity, fine embrace of nature, we seek your light. Your trials and tribulations show your kind mercy, should we be worthy of your kindness. Beneath your crown, we find our strength. In your presence, we find peace. Oh Lady of Ivy, the Crown of Thorns beneath the blood-red sun, our Goddess we belove; in you, we are just.¡± Father Benedict spoke aloud, a tense expression on his face as he uttered the words.

    He could not clear his heart of fear for the young magician.

    He could only hope that Lumi¨¨re would find his path without getting hurt.

    As he finished his prayer, he stood up, hovering at the edge of the hall¡¯s door as he spoke once more.

    ¡°Elise, give my words some thought, okay?¡± He said ruefully.

    Simply, the Sister responded with conviction.

    ¡°Ainsworth, the day I abandon the Goddess is the day I will die.¡±

    Father Benedict smiled softly upon hearing her words as if it was laughable, yet he said nothing and slipped into the darkness of his room.

    Stolen story; please report.

    ¡®I wouldn¡¯t say those words lightly.¡¯

    ¡ª

    Lumi¨¨re had mentioned the reward of a single, undisclosed favour, yet faced with uncertainty, Artis Faulkner had accepted it so easily. He knew then that the concept of the marriage proposal towards him meant much more to her than he had previously assumed. As for the non-descriptive reward on his part, it was just because he couldn¡¯t think of anything relatively useful at the moment.

    After all, remembering things wasn¡¯t his strong suit in the slightest.

    It had been a long time since Lumi¨¨re and the proclaimed ¡®genius blade¡¯ had first met.

    Several years ago, he had felt something lacking in his magical endeavours- rather, he felt as if he had been lacking something as a whole- as if he had lost the fiery passion that once raged brightly for his performances. So, he made his way through the middle borough, hoping to find what he had been missing.

    Eventually, he had stumbled upon the very thing that filled his heart with excitement - fencing.

    Although, it wasn¡¯t the act of swordcraft itself that excited Lumi¨¨re. It was the art of ¡®performance¡¯ that had kept Lumi¨¨re enthralled.

    So, he had fallen out of love with magic, which had been nothing but lies and devoted the entirety of his being to the blade he had been lent. Slowly, he learned of the dance by which one would interact with their opponent, and quickly, he learned to lament the world that did not contain such grace.

    It was then that he saw the beauty of the swordswoman, whom he had forever called the ¡®genius blade¡¯ of the fencer¡¯s gathering. She, who was a woman of wealthy regard, did not need to pursue such a path. Still, without sweat on her brow, she showed off her skill effortlessly, and so Lumi¨¨re felt the need to work that much harder.

    So, as Lumi¨¨re had started to pursue the path of the blade, he had slowly started to abandon that of illusion- of lies.

    He reached into his front pocket, pulled out the simple silver pocket watch, flipped it open, and noted the time. Midday had arrived, and it was likely that soon the bouts of rainfall would grow harsher.

    ¡°You really like that watch, don¡¯t you?¡± Artis smiled softly. ¡°If you were to marry me, I¡¯m sure I could acquire you something much more fitting- something much more regal.¡±

    ¡°This watch is fine enough for me.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re shook his head and placed it back into his front pocket before stepping forward.

    ¡°Shall we begin, Ms. Faulkner?¡± Lumi¨¨re smiled.

    She didn¡¯t part her lips, only nodding in response as she bowed.

    Lumi¨¨re did the same, and then they stood in parallel, facing each other as they unsheathed their blades.

    Hers was as black as obsidian, with a gleam underneath the faded streaks of sunlight that shone through the hall¡¯s windows. His was silver and fierce, like a monstrosity of his unerring conviction forged into steel.

    He stepped forward, quickly thrusting forth towards the woman who parried it in turn, stepping to the side.

    To him, it seemed like a dance of steps.

    ¡® Is this all ¡®performance¡¯ really is, when you break it down to its bare roots? A simple dance?¡¯ Lumi¨¨re wondered as he stared at the genius, circling. ¡®I wonder if the reason I enjoy swordsmanship so much is because it is so ¡®grand¡¯? Performing as a magician has lost all of its spark¡­¡¯

    ¡®Performance in fencing, and performance in illusion¡­ aren¡¯t they the same thing, to have called them by the same name? Then, couldn¡¯t I just¡­?¡¯

    Without hesitation, Lumi¨¨re ripped his cloak away from his body, dashing in a mad, white flash towards the genius blade. Her eyes widened, and quickly she responded in turn, raising her sword to meet his approach.

    Then, from behind he placed his blade to her throat with a smile.

    ¡°Is this your speciality, Mr. Illusionist?¡± Artis grinned as she looked up at him with an exasperated expression.

    ¡°The first principle of illusion is to distract.¡± He shrugged.

    In an instant, he had thrown up his cloak as a diversion, treating it as though it were him dashing towards her. Then, he had slipped underneath her legs and appeared behind her.

    Suddenly, Artis grabbed hold of Lumi¨¨re¡¯s sleeve, pulling him over her without fear of his blade. He hit the ground hard, a sharp and heavy breath escaping his lungs. Despite that, an excited grin crept up his face.

    Lumi¨¨re couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡®It¡¯s been a long time since I have felt such joy from ¡®performing¡¯.¡¯

    He quickly swung his blade towards the swordswoman, wasting no ounce of movement as he stepped forward.

    ¡®Could the inverse be applied to magic, however? Would my patrons really like to see me dance on that grand stage in such an outfit?¡¯

    Lumi¨¨re laughed inwardly as his hand shot forward, grabbing hold of Artis¡¯s arm. His eyes were as sharp as his blade, and his breathing was shallow.

    ¡®His focus is scary¡­¡¯ Artis thought as she moved to counter him. ¡®Where does it come from? If I can grasp this technique¡­ no, if I could trade all of my techniques for one, it would be this one.¡¯

    Pulling her by the arm, Lumi¨¨re pivoted his weight, and in one swift action, threw her over his shoulder. She landed harshly on the cushioned platform below, a gasp escaping her lips in the same fashion as she looked upwards. At that moment, he stood towering over her, his eyes wild and focused.

    She stood up once more, swinging her blade behind her shoulder as she blocked Lumi¨¨re¡¯s oncoming strike.

    Still, his focus was intense.

    He could feel every muscle in his body- as if his ¡®performance¡¯ had entered him into some sort of trance.

    Balancing his weight on his left palm, he prostrated his body, spinning in a circular motion as he kicked at her head. She moved her hand quickly to block it, dropping her blade towards her other hand as she lunged forward.

    ¡®Ah¡­ is her left side open?¡¯

    Without hesitation, Lumi¨¨re thrust his blade forward. It caught at the side of her fluttering cloak, tearing a deep gash into the seam. Her eyes widened as she started to move her blade to block the strike, but it had been far too late. She hadn¡¯t even anticipated his actions.

    ¡®I knew it.¡¯ Lumi¨¨re thought as he grinned wildly. ¡®Now all of a sudden, performing is way more fun.¡¯

    He stepped back as he let the genius blade regain her balance. She stood straight as she faced him, and they began to step in sideways motions.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been coming here for nearly three years, right?¡± Artis asked with curious eyes as they circled each other.

    ¡°Nearly.¡±

    ¡°Why is it, in that time, you¡¯ve never asked to bout with the Master? Surely then, your skill would be officially recognised, despite everyone knowing of your talent already.¡± She wondered. ¡°Then, you would be able to make a career out of your swordskill¡­¡±

    ¡°Is everything about money to you, Ms. Faulkner?¡± Lumi¨¨re laughed as he surged forward, holding his blade behind his back to conceal its intentions.

    ¡®Well, it¡¯s not as if I enjoy my current career wholly, but it¡¯s always been my dream to be a magician, not a swordsman¡­¡¯

    Lumi¨¨re let out a harsh, sharp breath from his gritted teeth as he swung his blade towards Artis, uncharacteristic of the fencing style. Of course, Lumi¨¨re had never been particular about any sort of style, in such a way that he had grown to forge his own.

    ¡®I just want to live out my fantasy in this cruel world. I want to help the people around me smile, in my own way.¡¯

    Their blades collided harshly as Artis blocked his swing.

    Suddenly, Lumi¨¨re let go of his blade. It started to fall towards the ground alongside the magician, and with one sweep of his leg, Artis was left staring at the ceiling. He quickly caught his blade and pressed it against Artis¡¯s throat.

    ¡°I think with this, it¡¯s as good as over, Ms. Faulkner.¡± Lumi¨¨re smiled softly as he glanced down towards her.

    Her expression quivered, and she bit at her lip as she tried to keep her eyes from tearing up.

    ¡®I¡¯m sorry, Ms. Faulkner. I never had any intention to lose, and so I strung you along. After all, what I¡¯m truly good at is being a liar.¡¯ Lumi¨¨re cursed at himself sorrowfully in his mind. ¡®Although, in reality, it may have been the best choice to lose to you. I know it would benefit me¡­ and I know you want to get stronger too. That¡¯s why you want me beside you so badly, but I¡¯m not all that you think I am, not in that way.¡¯

    ¡®After all, the hopes I cling onto are pointless.¡¯

 Chapter 9: Midnight Correspondence

    When Lumi¨¨re had returned home to the monastery, he was weary with fatigue, but he still made time to check in on the children of the monastery. Tired from their daily affairs of cleaning around the church, they had already fallen fast asleep in their room. As Lumi¨¨re watched over them with a warm gaze, he let out a sigh and closed their door, continuing down the hall of the upper floor towards his room. As he passed Sister Alinde¡¯s room, he peered through the opening of her door, but she too had already fallen fast asleep.

    ¡®Goodness, they really are creatures of the day, aren¡¯t they?¡¯ Lumi¨¨re smiled warmly. Of course, Lumi¨¨re didn¡¯t bother to glance towards the far end of the hall, where Father Benedict¡¯s room was. He already knew that the Father was still awake, likely sifting through countless stacks of paperwork that were required of him by the main Cathedral in the middle borough. Managing the monastery was already enough for him and Sister Alinde, and the children had not yet grown up enough to assist him. If Lumi¨¨re weren¡¯t such a half-believer, he could have likely forced himself to lessen their burdens.

    ¡®Giving them money is all I can bear to do¡­¡¯

    Lumi¨¨re opened the door to his room, shutting it behind him and sighing. After stepping inside his room, Lumi¨¨re immediately noticed the chill that bit at his skin. The window to Lumi¨¨re¡¯s room was open, letting the midnight air seep in. His heart froze, and his gaze shot over to his bed in the corner of the room, sensing the presence of the gaze within the darkness that stared back at him.

    ¡°It¡¯s a beautiful night, isn¡¯t it, Lumi¨¨re Croft?¡±

    Lumi¨¨re immediately recognised the voice. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he could make out the shape of the tall figure dressed in an outfit reminiscent of a bygone era. It was Thomas Hawthorne, the servant of the Lord Sinner who had brought him the evil Deity¡¯s contract in order to survive.

    ¡°How did you make it in here?¡± Lumi¨¨re asked, his eyebrows furrowed. His hand hovered over his waist, where his sword had remained. Having been influenced by the attack of the human amalgamation, he had retained his blade after fighting Artis Faulkner in the Fencer¡¯s Association as a matter of precaution.

    ¡°The window was unlocked.¡± Thomas shrugged.

    ¡°We¡¯re on the second floor.¡±

    ¡°So we are.¡± He laughed.

    Lumi¨¨re reached into his interior pocket, procuring the blade that Thomas had thrown to him that day. He grasped it by the blade, extending it towards Thomas. ¡°Your blade.¡±

    ¡°Keep it. It was prepared for your use, anyway.¡± His expression was calm, unmoving. ¡°Who knows? You may find use in it once more, soon enough.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re pulled a chair from the corner to face Thomas, sitting down. He couldn¡¯t bear to stand much longer. He was already far too exhausted. If it came to a fight against Thomas Hawthorne, he had no mind to fight back. There was no hope in survival. Although, Thomas had already mentioned that he would arrive soon after the fight against the human amalgamation, so his appearance was already something Lumi¨¨re had mildly anticipated.

    ¡°Why does the Lord Sinner take interest in me specifically? I know you said it was because I was the type of person he¡¯s interested in, but aren¡¯t there so many more terrible people in this world? Why me specifically?¡±

    Thomas shook his head, laughing. ¡°You don¡¯t understand how special of a person you are, do you? Of course, how could you understand how your skill is most suited to our Lord?¡±

    Thomas leaned forward, his expression growing serious.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to know of our Lord¡¯s intentions. That¡¯s the contract you signed in order to survive. Even I don¡¯t know what he wishes to do.¡±

    ¡°Will our Lord request anything of me?¡± Lumi¨¨re asked, curious, a little apprehensive.

    ¡°From time to time, the Lord¡¯s Emissary brings us word of a task he wants us to complete in order to further his plans. However, when that time comes, we¡¯re only to complete the task, and not ask any questions as to its relevance or meaning. After all, how can we manage to comprehend the thought processes of such a supreme being?¡±

    Lumi¨¨re nodded his head. It all made sense. However, there were still several things that didn¡¯t seem to make sense.

    ¡°Why was that creature in Leiden- the middle borough no less? With so many Peacekeepers constantly patrolling there, how did such a monster manage to make it into the world of the living?¡±

    ¡°The world of magic is incredibly diverse, Lumi¨¨re Croft. There¡¯s no telling what you will encounter day-by-day, especially now that you¡¯ve accepted our Lord¡¯s power.¡± Thomas maintained his relaxed posture once more. ¡°Those beasts, they hide within the facades of others. One person you know may no longer be the person they once were. The only moment you¡¯ll find out whether its one or the other is when you¡¯re fighting for your life against them. One moment they will be man, the next they will be monster.¡±

    Still, this didn¡¯t appease Lumi¨¨re¡¯s anxieties in the slightest. If anything, it only exacerbated them. ¡°When using the Lord¡¯s power, I was able to sense the origin of the fear of that monster. It was human.¡±

    Thomas nodded his head.

    ¡°Those creatures, they¡¯re parasites. The servants of a bloodthirsty Deity, they are. That fear you feel, its the remains of the person they once were¡ª¡ª living, but forced to spectate horror. That fear you sense, it¡¯s the innate human fear that all people possess, some strange sort of primal instinct necessary to survive. It does not fade, and the parasites cannot erase it. That fear is determination, it is what they call the unbreakable human spirit. Does this upset you, to kill what is essentially still a living person?¡±

    ¡°I thought I would hate myself more, given time, but it almost seemed inevitable. By killing what was once one person, I saved two. Am I terrible person for weighing lives against one another?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re here because you¡¯re a terrible person, Lumi¨¨re Croft.¡± Thomas chuckled, resting his chin on his folded hands. ¡°There¡¯s no point in debating that fact. If you¡¯re having trouble actualising your regret, then I¡¯m not quite the person to talk to. I¡¯m not the type of person that regrets killing others, even if it serves me no purpose at all.¡±

    ¡°Will there be more killing to be done in the future?¡±

    ¡°Inevitably.¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll steel my heart to it.¡± Lumi¨¨re determined. ¡°Some thing have to be done to enact change.¡±

    ¡°Well put. Still, the future remains to determine whether or not you¡¯ll be able to go through with such things. I wish you the best of luck in those matters, magician.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re refused his face to twitch. Of course, he had surmised that Thomas Hawthorne had already known of his affiliations. That much was inevitable, knowing his name. Being a direct servant of a Deity, it was sure that Thomas was privy to easier access of information. He was prepared to understand that Thomas knew every bit of himself, and so he remained wary in that regard.

    ¡°So, what actions do I need to undertake now?¡± Lumi¨¨re asked.

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    Thomas looked over to the side, his gaze furtive, and procured a satchel of coins from his pocket. He tossed them over to Lumi¨¨re, who caught them with a surprised expression. ¡°Go buy all of those wretches some food. This is courtesy of our Lord. Welcome to his service, Lumi¨¨re Croft.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re¡¯s gaze trembled, and his thoughts raced. ¡®Courtesy of the Lord Sinner? Is this something an evil God should be doing?¡¯ He smiled nervously, but also humorously. ¡®How is it that an evil Deity is doing more for struggling people than their own Goddess does? Isn¡¯t reality laughable?¡¯

    Lumi¨¨re bowed towards Thomas, genuine, heartfelt respect in his movements. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Hawthorne. They will appreciate this, truly.¡±

    ¡°They will appreciate you.¡± Thomas smiled coyly, pressing a finger up against his lips. ¡°It might go without saying, but mentioning you¡¯re in the service of a Deity with our Lord¡¯s such alignment is a death sentence for you. I pray you pretend that this is your deed alone. Anything else would incur suspicion.¡±

    Indeed, Lumi¨¨re had thought of such a thing, but he had to ascertain Thomas¡¯s thoughts on the matter. If he were to mention that he had been gifted the funds by an evil Deity, he was sure to be killed, so that much was obviously not an option. If he were to mention that it had been gifted by a donor who wished to remain private, the origin of the funds would fall under suspicion. Every Dwindler on Cobbler¡¯s Street knew of the ties it had with the criminal Blackfeather Group. While the starving might not mind eating off of illegal money, other such onlookers, including Father Benedict, would be averse to it.

    The best option was indeed to pin its origin on himself. After all, he could always lie about how it had been obtained. However, the most likely lie presented problems.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t performed at the show hall in several days. Won¡¯t this incur suspicion? When would I have had an opportunity to raise the funds for such an event?¡± Lumi¨¨re¡¯s eyes widened as he spoke, coming to a realisation.

    Seeing that Lumi¨¨re had solved the issue, Thomas smiled.

    ¡°You¡¯ve figured it out?¡±

    Lumi¨¨re nodded his head. ¡°Earlier today, I went to the show hall in order to secure my payment for a previous show. This gives me the basis of having been there, as well as a basis for obtaining money. I can always say that it was the result of a good performance that brought the Madame to reward me extra for my efforts. It¡¯s extremely unlikely that anyone who notices the event of the Dwindlers being fed extravagantly would question the Madame directly. Even if they sought conference with her, she¡¯s too busy to grant it to them¡­¡±

    Thomas looked amused, leaning his head on his hand. ¡°I think you¡¯re thinking far too much for something so simple.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re shook his head. ¡°No, I¡¯m not thinking nearly enough. Once you start a lie, you can¡¯t leave any holes. An illusion can easily unravel.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right. I admire your consistency.¡± His gaze looked serious, and he furthered their discussion with a question. ¡°Do you plan on growing stronger, Lumi¨¨re Croft?¡±

    Lumi¨¨re nodded. ¡°It was to be my next question. I had the thought that with magic, I could finally try and make things better for the people. However, what good is the ability to control shadows and sense fear in others?¡± Lumi¨¨re glanced towards Thomas as he spoke.

    Thomas grinned madly, the corners of his lips spreading to the edges of his cheeks. It was an inhuman look, an evil look. It made Lumi¨¨re¡¯s entire body tremble. Thomas¡¯s pupils collapsed like ink, filling his iris with stark-black colour. ¡°You¡¯re still wary of me, I understand it. But you don¡¯t need to be scared, at least not in this way. I already know the abilities you possess. You¡¯re not the first person that Lord Sinner has chosen to support in their goals, after all. You¡¯re just one of many. Although this time, I suspect you¡¯ve been chosen as a desperate measure. He hopes you won¡¯t fail him like the rest.¡±

    As Lumi¨¨re¡¯s thoughts raced, knowing his tricks had been discovered, Thomas continued.

    ¡°That¡¯s to say that there¡¯s no use in trying to hide your abilities from me. Although I commend you on your creativity, shadow control is most definitely not part of your skillset. If that were truly the case, then I would be forced to consider that you have alternate alignments with other Deities or Demons that you haven¡¯t shared with me, and I would have to consult our Lord on how you should be handled as a two-faced contractee.¡± He still had a general sense of villainous about him, and his unnerving smile wouldn¡¯t dissipate. ¡°Besides, being as wary as you are with me is pointless. Even if I had ill intentions towards you, there¡¯s nothing you could possibly do about it. If you are a little dove that has just hatched with the help of our Lord, then I am the dragon he has raised over centuries of effort. I hope this analogy puts it into perspective for you. I am not a threat in that a threat implies you have an adequate coping mechanism, of which you do not. So, your only option is to consider me a friend. You would be wise to do so. After all, I came all this way to help you.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re let out a sigh. He had made several good points. Even if Thomas Hawthorne was his enemy, if he wasn¡¯t able to do anything to stop him, then it made fearing him pointless. Almost in the way that a bug cannot hope to avoid the unknowing steps of a person as it crosses the road. It can only hope that it is not crushed by chance¡ª¡ª by fate. Lumi¨¨re grinned, finally understanding that much. ¡°You¡¯re right. It was pointless for me to be wary. After all, you¡¯re a comrade.¡±

    ¡°Precisely.¡± Thomas Hawthorne stood up from where he had been standing. The window behind him cast him in lilac-coloured moonlight, revealing that his monstrous expression had faded. Now, he resembled a human as much as Lumi¨¨re did, and he couldn¡¯t figure out if he had been imagining it or not. ¡°I¡¯ve left a package on your desk. Inside of it, there are two things of note. The first is a silver flute. If it is played at any point during the midnight hour, you can alert me of your need to meet. Of course, I would hope you would refrain from interrupting me during the weekdays. These are the days when I am most likely to be undergoing a task for our Lord.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re¡¯s eyes widened. ¡®Such magic is possible? So, now that I consider him a ¡®comrade¡¯, he¡¯s willing to give me such an avenue for aid. It really was foolish to consider that he might be an enemy, at least in that regard. Of course, his intentions towards me might still be underhanded, but for the time being I can consider him sincere.¡¯

    Lumi¨¨re nodded his head. ¡°And the second¡±

    ¡°The other item of note is an invitation. It is sealed in an envelope, marked with the seal of the Lord Sinner. This invitation, once opened, will allow you to travel to his domain, although it is single-use. It will burn away into embers once opened.¡±

    ¡°Is this intended for use at any time?¡±

    Thomas shook his head. ¡°No. It should be opened ten days from now. Of course, the reason why will become obvious to you. For the same reason, even if you play that silver flute in the next ten days, I will not answer, and I will not assist you. Good luck, Lumi¨¨re Croft.¡±

    After tipping his hat, Thomas stepped out of the open window, disappearing into the night. As Lumi¨¨re watched him go, his thoughts continued, fueled by their conversation.

    ¡®He mentioned that I had predecessors¡­ and that they all failed. Why did that occur? Is the ¡®exchange¡¯ that the contract demands is a harsh task? Will the Lord Sinner ask something impossible of me?¡¯

    ¡®However, because I had lied to him, he didn¡¯t answer as to whether or not I can grow stronger, and to what extent I need to go to make that happen.¡¯ Lumi¨¨re¡¯s gaze drifted over to his desk, where a box bound by twine had suddenly appeared. ¡®Ten days from now, I can ask him¡­ but what was he talking about before? In the next seven days, I need his good wishes? What could be coming?¡¯

    ¡ª¡ª

    Thomas Hawthorne stood at the top of the towering city structure known as Etten-Leur, overlooking the entirety of the sunken lower borough. It was a hell of swampish, hilly terrain, only fueled by the slanted slope structure that separated the middle borough from its lower predecessor, causing all rainfall to fall down into the valleyside.

    In the air beside Thomas, an eyeball suddenly opened up. It looked around for a time, before settling on the cloaked man. Then, noticing its appearance, Thomas smiled.

    ¡°Good day, Emissary.¡±

    The eyeball blinked, before looking away.

    {¡°Messenger.¡±}

    Thomas¡¯s expression sunk slightly. ¡°Why do you always treat me so coldly? Would it hurt you to smile a bit?¡±

    The voice replied, its sentences fragmented. {¡°With- what mouth?¡±}

    Thomas sighed. ¡°Never mind, forget about it. So, what are you here to talk about? Does our Lord have another task for me?¡±

    {¡°I- wish to- know why you didn¡¯t- tell that Lumi¨¨re- Croft about- that man.¡±}

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think it necessary. Even if I were to tell him of the dangers, of what will happen soon, do you think it would have changed its inevitability? He will still face the danger.¡±

    {¡°He could have- prepared better.¡±}

    ¡°No one could have prepared better. Not with this little time.¡±

    Thomas turned to face the Emissary, his expression serious.

    ¡°That man with the inhuman expression¡­ do you think he¡¯s associated with ¡®that¡¯ organisation?¡±

    {¡°Likely.¡±}

    ¡°But then¡­ what could the Phantoms wish to do at this time? Is this another of that man¡¯s plots? How much will they continue to interrupt our attempts at raising a beacon?¡±

    Thomas let out a sigh, his gaze returning to the harsh landscape.

    ¡°Lumi¨¨re Croft, if you can survive this, then perhaps you will finally be the one. You will be the one to fulfill ¡®his¡¯ goals.¡± Thomas grinned, his smile spreading to the edges of his cheeks inhumanly.

 Chapter 10: The worth of a potato in gold

    In the morning, after he had rested adequately, Lumi¨¨re followed Thomas Hawthorne¡¯s instructions, going out to feed the Dwindlers.

    He had gone to the bank of Leiden before the sun had risen, exchanging the boundless envelope of coins received by the Madame for thirty square-shaped iron pieces with the face of the Emperor of the Nation carved into them - Lune coins. They were a simpler and larger denomination of the hundreds of trest coins given to him¡ª¡ª they were circular copper coins with the symbol of head royalty engraved on their surface.

    After he had left the middle borough, he had made his way to Etten-Leur, the stacked district of the lower borough. He spent fifteen trest to procure a hardened clay strip that was smaller than his palm, engraved with symbols to indicate that he had paid for a return trip by boat through the waterways. He walked until he came to a small dock at the edge of a street, where a small wooden boat had been tied up at the edge. He didn¡¯t speak a single word to the attendant of the boat, as was customary, instead flashing the hardened clay strip to signify he had paid before stepping into the boat. It rocked a slight bit as he stepped into its interior, sending churning black water splashing up around him.

    The attendant nodded slightly to confirm Lumi¨¨re¡¯s readiness, and soon they had set off. It was dark in the waterways of Etten-Leur, illuminated by small lamps that were manually lit by the boatmen each morning. The waterways mimicked the streets above, which were stacked endlessly on top of one another like sky bridges. They were all reinforced by wood and concrete, the product of one of the middle borough¡¯s craftsmen. All craftsmen in the Forger Empire were servants of the orthodox deity known as the ¡®Architect¡¯. Of course, any craftsman would prefer to refer to her by the name of the master of their craft. For those who worked with stone, she would be the ¡®Stonemason¡¯. For those who worked with wood, she would have been a ¡®Carpenter¡¯. For the purposes the craftsmen had been hired for by the leaders of the criminal groups to build Etten-Leur, she was the ¡®Architect¡¯, and it was sure that she had formulated the blueprints for her craftsmen to meticulously assemble by her will.

    After he had exited the boat and slightly bowed to the boatman, Lumi¨¨re began walking through the bustling streets of Etten-Leur. The magician flipped a coin haplessly in the air as he whistled. It spun through the air, expectant to land flat in his palm with a satisfying slapping sound, but it seemed to suddenly vanish from the air as a shadow passed him quickly by, brushing against his sleeve. A man had swiped it from the air as he had passed, but it didn¡¯t perplex the magician in the slightest.

    Lumi¨¨re quickly extended his hand in a quiet motion behind him and pulled a square object away from the shadow that passed him inconspicuously. It had a rich leathery surface and was filled with the jingling sounds of a handful of coins- the wallet of the thief. It was a common occurrence in the lower borough that anything not stuck against one''s skin would be stolen away from their person, and more so if it was wealth that carelessly cascaded through the air.

    He had never thought himself a thief, but more a bastion of fate''s exacted karma. So, for the coin he paraded openly, the wallet of the shadowy thief had been stolen in turn, a ten-fold return of his lost wealth. He didn¡¯t mind the concept of theft- it was just a way for one to survive. Although, he needed to survive, and he had a lot of people depending on him to live as well. So, he didn¡¯t view thieving from himself as a personal slight, but a slight against the people he cared for, so he didn¡¯t mind stealing from the thief in return.

    Lumi¨¨re let a satisfied smile creep up his face as he waltzed joyfully amidst the crowd, eventually arriving at a small wooden stall illuminated in the evening lamplight.

    There was a tall woman with a face as soft as a full moon, of round gently-curved cheeks, and a beaming smile that radiated cheerfulness. She had a joyous sense of life about her that wasn''t fleeting; she was like a sunrise.

    In her presence, Lumi¨¨re felt his heart grow warm, and he smiled back in turn.

    "Good afternoon, Mrs. Hammond."

    She immediately walked from behind the stall, wrapping her arms around Lumi¨¨re tightly as she lifted him into the air. She had the strength of a bear, and as he wrapped her arms around her rotund form in return, he thought it was wonderful that his hands could not touch each other.

    She was a woman like a cloud, so inviting in her mannerisms and bright atmosphere. In her forties, she still carried an air of young and graceful beauty.

    ¡°I¡¯m here to purchase potatoes, Mrs. Hammond.¡± Lumi¨¨re smiled softly, looking down at the woman who still held him up high in the air with her bear strength.

    Her aloof and happily distracted gaze contorted with wonder and confusion upon hearing Lumi¨¨re¡¯s words.

    ¡°Potatoes? Is it a particularly special day?¡± Mrs. Hammond wondered aloud.

    ¡°Father Benedict would have me believe that every day is such a special day.¡± Lumi¨¨re spoke gently. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then today of all days is a good day to eat potatoes in the monastery.¡±

    ¡°Surely you can¡¯t afford to feed the entirety of those in the monastery?¡±

    ¡°Today, I can do so. I¡¯ve run into means suddenly. Although it¡¯s not enough to secure something actualizable, I can at least afford this much.¡± Lumi¨¨re laughed. ¡°Now, I¡¯m more than happy to spend the day in your embrace, but I¡¯m sure your arms will quickly grow tired. I¡¯m not so much a child anymore, Mrs. Hammond.¡±

    Her face flushed with realisation, and she quickly set Lumi¨¨re back onto his two feet.

    ¡°Don¡¯t doubt my arm strength for a second, little Lumi.¡± Mrs. Hammond winked. ¡°And you¡¯ll always be a small child in my eyes, just as you were when you first came to us.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re averted his glance in embarrassment and continued speaking.

    ¡°Eight-dozen potatoes, Mrs. Hammond, how much will that be?¡±

    ¡°Ten Lune and Eighteen trest, but I¡¯m sure my boys will have something else to say about that matter, as would I.¡± Mrs. Hammond grinned.

    ¡®A third of what the Madame gave me¡­ I¡¯m sure such an expenditure will anger Sister Alinde and Father Benedict, but maybe working in the gift of Lord Sinner will appease them slightly. They really are cheap bastards¡­¡¯

    Her towering figure immediately turned towards a shop behind her that seemed carved into the depths of the stone building, and with a lively and booming voice, called out into its halls. Without hesitation, pots, pans, and the clattering of glassware seemed to erupt from the shop as two men came bolting out into the street.

    They were both about Lumi¨¨re¡¯s age, the twin sons of Mrs. Hammond, Artier and Letis. Artier had a thick and bushy black beard and bright green eyes, and Letis had a clean-shaven face and darker eyes obscured by crystalline glasses. Despite the handsome appearances of the two, which looked as if they would catch the eyes of both women and men walking by, their aesthetic was messy and misplaced, likely from their mad sprint to the door of the shop. With faces covered in dust and debris, they looked over to the woman who towered over them with kind but weary expressions.

    ¡°Yes, Mother?¡± They spoke curiously in unison.

    The two of them saw the form of the magician standing before them, and their eyes widened with joy as they shot forward.

    ¡°Lumi, you bastard!¡± Artier shouted, wrapping an arm around his shoulder as he forced Lumi¨¨re¡¯s head towards his chest playfully, ruffling a hand through his already messied chestnut hair.

    Letis immediately stole Lumi¨¨re¡¯s gaze away from his brother, holding the magician¡¯s head by the side as he pressed his forehead against the former.

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    ¡°You fool, never writing or visiting¡­ do you know how much mother worries?¡± Letis chided before pushing Lumi¨¨re away.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Lumi¨¨re smiled softly as he looked at the three standing before him with a pervasively joyous aura. ¡°I¡¯ve been a bad ward, haven¡¯t I?¡±

    ¡°Former ward.¡± Artier joked. ¡°You¡¯re a little churchgoer now, aren¡¯t you, Lumi?¡±

    Lumi¨¨re shook his head in response with a guilty smile, looking over towards Mrs. Hammond as he spoke once more.

    ¡°TEight-dozen¡­ the cost will be ten Lune, Eighteen Trest?¡± Lumi¨¨re asked again to confirm the transaction.

    Artier and Letis looked at the man before them with confused expressions.

    ¡°Cost¡­?¡±

    Letis looked back towards Lumi¨¨re, his expression seeming a little frustrated as he spoke.

    ¡®Free, damn it.¡± Letis spoke in a huff. ¡°The cost is free for you, of all people.¡±

    ¡°No, I surely can¡¯t- it¡¯s a few day¡¯s wages, Letis. It¡¯s too much to be given away.¡° Lumi¨¨re objected.

    ¡°If it¡¯s what my boys say, then it¡¯s what¡¯s going to happen.¡± Mrs. Hammond smiled with a sense of self-satisfaction.

    ¡®This woman¡­ if it was just her, maybe I would be able to deny the offer after a lengthy back-and-forth, but with these two fools, maybe it wouldn¡¯t be so easy to pay them.¡¯ Lumi¨¨re lamented inwardly.

    Even despite their cheerful dispositions, Lumi¨¨re knew well that the Hammond family was still a part of the miserable reality that all within the lower borough faced. He was sure that their financial situation was taut, so any goodwill offered was harshly at their expense. This was why he was so hesitant to accept it, and would then persist in wanting to pay remuneration.

    He looked over towards Mrs. Hammond and smiled softly.

    ¡°Then, should we settle this the old way?¡±

    Quickly, two stools were brought over to the wooden stall in front of the shop. Lumi¨¨re opposed the towering woman, his elbow flat against the surface of the stall as he raised his hand upwards. She grasped it in turn, and as the two men watched on, they began a struggle of strength for their pride.

    Of course, a struggle is what Lumi¨¨re desperately sought to call it in his mind. In each instance, despite his pleas to think himself a match for the giantess, his hand was slammed hard against the splintered surface of the stall.

    In the end, Lumi¨¨re was left with a reddened hand and a sack of potatoes he didn¡¯t pay for. He was appreciative of the gestures the Hammond family would often show him, but he couldn¡¯t help but feel protective over them. Such kindness could be well-taken advantage of in such a cruel world, and so he was left to worry.

    If Lumi¨¨re were to think of any woman as a motherly figure, it surely would have been Adjest Hammond. For half a year, before Lumi¨¨re had been given away to the monastery to assist with their duties, he had lived alongside the two twins and Mrs. Hammond, who had been widowed by the war.

    So, they all held a special place within his heart. He bid the three goodbye, promising to visit more often, lest he be tracked and caught by the two men, and be forced to visit regardless.

    ¡®It¡¯s a strange world, to think badly of myself for accepting the kindness of another.¡¯ Lumi¨¨re lamented humorously as he continued down the bustling suspended street of Etten-Leur.

    He later arrived at a lamplit shop at the side of the street, where steam seemed to pour out in droves, carrying the heavy scent of spices. Dozens of people gathered around the storefront stall, tentatively avoiding the commuting crowd and the few horse-drawn carriages of the lower borough by packing together tightly, enjoying and lusting for the tantalising allure of the food.

    Lumi¨¨re waited patiently by the side, and after a short time, the crowd had all but adjourned with sadness and unrequited desire left in their hearts. In the hours after daytime work had ended, large swaths of people would congregate at the various shops, led by the scents of spices and glazes that would stir their hungering stomachs. Most labourers of the lower borough, who only made twenty Lune a week, would be unable to afford even the cheapest dishes at any of the shops, and so the shop owners themselves subsequently often suffered from lack of customers.

    Even Lumi¨¨re, who made twice as much as an average labourer by being allowed to work in a show hall in the middle borough, considered potatoes a delightful delicacy, mostly because of his somewhat obligatory contributions to the church. If only industry would come sooner as had been promised, then surely every man could enjoy more than porridge, bread, and scraps of meat.

    Still, today was a special day, like all days, and so Lumi¨¨re approached the man behind the stall with a smile on his face.

    ¡°One pound of harsh butter, please.¡± Lumi¨¨re requested of him.

    The man looked with harsh, uncaring eyes towards Lumi¨¨re, and before he reached to prepare the ingredient, he turned around and called out into the shop.

    ¡°Esme!¡± He yelled to seemingly no one. ¡°Mr. Croft is here!¡±

    The clattering of pots resounded out, and a small girl appeared from the shop with a wide and excited smile on her face. She didn¡¯t look towards the man who called out for her, her gaze immediately locking onto the magician behind the stall like a magnet.

    ¡°You know the deal, Mr. Croft.¡± The man spoke with an unmoving expression.

    Lumi¨¨re¡¯s smile tensed up.

    ¡®Ah, I wish I could just pay normally¡­¡¯

    He reached into his jacket pocket, pulling a performer¡¯s glove over his left hand as he let out a sigh.

    Lumi¨¨re then reached his other hand into his pocket, pulling out a handkerchief he had procured to replace the one he lost during the show. To be losing another so soon made his heart ache.

    ¡®I¡¯m just a dancing little monkey to them¡­¡¯ He sighed inwardly.

    ¡°Alright Esme, keep your eye on the handkerchief,¡± Lumi¨¨re spoke with a gentle tone of voice.

    The little girl standing before him nodded adamantly, her fists curled up in front of her in excitement.

    Lumi¨¨re took a deep breath, and with one swift motion, he whipped the handkerchief through the air. In the darkness only illuminated by lamplight, bright flames burst forth with dazzling sparks that fell towards the ground before burning out.

    A red rose appeared within his gloved fingertips, and past its grace, he could see the excitement of the young girl bloom like its petals.

    ¡®Even still, as long as I perform, I can make smiles appear, can¡¯t I?¡¯

    Despite his lack of passion, in recent days, that had been the only upside to his choice of career. He handed the rose to the young girl, who accepted it gleefully and then looked up towards the callous man. Like every instance he would visit the man¡¯s shop, after his little performance, the man¡¯s expression would brighten up. Whether it was because of the trick, or his own child¡¯s joy, Lumi¨¨re could not tell.

    ¡°You said one and a half pounds?¡± The man asked with a calm expression.

    ¡°I said one.¡±

    ¡°I heard one and a half.¡± The man spoke once more, his face continuously still.

    Lumi¨¨re let his heart rest and simply nodded. This was the tradeoff for his child¡¯s smile. For the same price, the man would always include a little extra. However, when it came to harsh butter, not much was lost in including such a thing. Harsh butter was the remnants of churned butter, scooped from the sides of the churn after being left to sit in the hot sun. It was more sour in comparison but still had a rich and hearty taste when warmed, and so it was worth the one lune coin that he handed over to the shop owner.

    He couldn¡¯t quite complain, either. The shop owner¡¯s kindness wasn¡¯t apparent on his face, but it was quite out of place for the time. After the war, it had become harder to procure certain imported goods, and with greater necessity for local foods like butter and potatoes, the prices had skyrocketed. To try and meet the costs for themselves, landowners had raised the prices on rent for buildings, and so many had become homeless, forced to go hungry and wander around- becoming Dwindlers in mass. So, the kindness of Esme¡¯s father, and Mrs. Hammond was almost too much for him to readily accept.

    ¡°Mr. Magician¡­¡± The girl named Esme spoke out suddenly, tugging at Lumi¨¨re¡¯s shirt sleeve from below.

    ¡°Yes, Ms. Esme?¡± Lumi¨¨re spoke with kind eyes as he knelt. ¡°Is there something the matter?¡±

    ¡°With your magic, can you deal with anything?¡± Esme asked with a somewhat worried expression.

    ¡°I can do many things, although I¡¯m not sure why you¡¯re asking such a question.¡±

    Esme furtively shot a glance towards her father, but he was busy preparing Lumi¨¨re¡¯s ingredients, so there was no help coming from his way. So, she steeled her heart and spoke out towards the magician.

    ¡°There are monsters in my room at night.¡± She whispered close to his ear.

    Her eyes shook, and her small body seemed to tremble slightly as she spoke out her words. Lumi¨¨re had once feared the dark as a child. He had thought the same. So, he simply looked towards the child, and after a moment of thinking, responded in turn.

    ¡°That flower I¡¯ve made out of the flames for you is filled with the brightness and goodness of the world. If at any time, there are monsters, all you need to do is hold it close, and everything will turn out alright.¡±

    ¡°Is that really true? What if the flower withers?¡±

    ¡°Even a withered petal is enough. If at any point, those petals crumble too much, then a doll, a dress, or even simple lamplight is enough. There¡¯s no need to worry about the dark, for the monsters that sit within it always fear such a thing. They surely fear beauty, don¡¯t they? Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t be described as being so ugly, right?¡±

    Lumi¨¨re smiled towards the girl, and with eyes that widened excitedly as if they had received a revelation, Esme¡¯s mood seemed to immediately brighten, and she let out a laugh while thinking of Lumi¨¨re¡¯s description of monsters.

    Of course, Lumi¨¨re was talking made-up truths. After all, he was a career liar. But as always, those lies were fine as long as they produced smiles in others. So, he held a finger to his lips, and Esme¡¯s eyes shimmered. She immediately nodded her head, as if she had been privy to the true secrets of a magician- a revelation that was the banal crime of a performer.

    He then stood back up, ruffling through her hair as he received a small paper bag from the shop owner.

    He nodded his head to bid farewell and waved at Esme as he stepped back into the crowd.

    As he walked, Lumi¨¨re looked up towards the near-night sky which seemed to pool with grey crowds and began to sorrowfully ponder.

    ¡®In all my interactions, am I a fraud? Is lying all I can do to make people smile?¡¯

 Chapter 11: Someone who remembers

    After shopping in Etten-Leur, Lumi¨¨re had returned to the monastery on Cobbler¡¯s Street. The fresh morning air which had been bitten by a chilled wind and let out a soft breath. A bout of steam escaped his lips, and through its bleary form, he saw the silhouettes of his companions. Raising a hand into the air, Lumi¨¨re called out to him, and the Sister and Father both turned their heads with smiles on their faces as they waved back in return.

    As he ran up to them, Father Benedict spoke towards him with a humoured expression.

    ¡°Will you finally be helping us in the mornings, Lumi¨¨re?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think I help enough?¡± Lumi¨¨re asked, puzzled.

    ¡°I think you help out about as much as the chill of the morning helps out in ridding us of the constant puddles from the rainfall.¡± Sister Alinde joked as she turned towards him.

    ¡°Then perhaps I should start gambling my earnings away instead.¡± Lumi¨¨re chided humorously. ¡°We¡¯ll see how much I contribute then.¡±

    Ignoring his comments, obviously appreciative, Sister Alinde asked. ¡°What¡¯s in the bag?¡±

    She was referring to the sack that Mrs. Hammond had given Lumi¨¨re for the potatoes. It was also where he had stored the harsh butter he had gotten from the shopkeep.

    ¡°Lunch.¡± He replied casually.

    The two sat in the grass as they scooped hot ladle-fulls of porridge into the extended bowls of the Dwindlers who had slept out in the cold.

    ¡°May the Goddess bless you.¡± The Father spoke as he scooped the warmth of the porridge into the bowl of an aged and wrinkled man standing helplessly before him.

    The man nodded respectfully in turn, with a hurt smile on his face.

    "May the Veridian star guide you."

    He spoke in turn as he turned his tail and returned to his seat far on the hillside. It was something the Dwindlers would often say, referring to the Goddess of Thorns as the ''Veridian star'', a bright green orb that would pulse in the night sky.

    Because of the assorted library within the small monastery, as well as the books kept in the show hall and fencer''s association, Lumi¨¨re had been able to gather a sizeable knowledge of history. He knew that the vagrant groups that came to the Forger Empire from many lands would refer to the various deities by referencing their star, at least before they had become worshipped orthodox beings. The tradition had been kept by the Dwindlers, who had no home, and so spent most of their life underneath the glimmering stars.

    Lumi¨¨re watched each man, woman, and child in turn come up to the Father and the Sister, with that same hurt and helpless expression of the previous man on their face. To live a life where pride had to be abandoned to survive, Lumi¨¨re was sure that it was the cruelest existence of all.

    Suddenly, a boy approached the three. He was malnourished in appearance, and his clothes were dirtied.

    ¡°Are you all right?¡± Sister Alinde asked of him.

    He shook his head slightly.

    ¡°I¡¯ve lost my mother.¡± He spoke out with a calm tone of voice.

    Despite the subject matter, he didn¡¯t seem fraught with fear. His voice didn¡¯t shake, and the small hairs on his skin didn¡¯t burst up in fright. Still, Sister Alinde reached out a hand in comfort with a smile, and the boy took it gratefully.

    ¡°I¡¯ll help you find her, so let¡¯s walk around the hillside.¡±

    Sister Alinde and the boy walked off hand-in-hand, and Lumi¨¨re quickly brushed them from his mind.

    He then looked out onto the hillside, eyeing each Dwindler with some sort of nascent pity he couldn''t bear to abandon. Some had lost limbs, hands, or feet. Some wore bandages or crawled around on the ground at slow paces. Crutches, blindness, and illness were carried around like sickened apparel.

    They were called Dwindlers because that was all they could bear to do. They could travel wherever they could manage to and hope that their surroundings would sustain them. Many had settled on Cobbler''s Street due to the provisions of the monastery and the safety and management of the Blackfeather Group. Still, it was a life of menial engagement. It was one of surviving- of Dwindling until your heart¡¯s ember would burn out, and you would become a cold husk on the roadside.

    Lumi¨¨re would have called it prolonged suffering.

    "Two years..." Lumi¨¨re spoke softly. "It¡¯s been two years, and this is all that the government and church could have managed to do for them?"

    "Two years isn''t enough to recover the damages of a war of fourteen." Father Benedict smiled solemnly.

    "And yet by that math, the reparations haven''t even exceeded a seventh." Lumi¨¨re sighed. "Shouldn''t we expect more? Shouldn''t they expect more? Why is everyone so satisfied with their lives...? I don''t understand..."

    Lumi¨¨re put a palm against his eyes. His head felt as if it had been stuffed with cotton, muddled and heavy with a thick fog.

    "Who is?" Father Benedict spoke suddenly.

    Lumi¨¨re opened his eyes and turned towards the man who spoke out.

    "What?"

    "Who said they''re completely fine with their lives? Why is everyone a monolith in your mind? Are you even considering everyone''s perspective?"

    "I''m not... empathising?" Lumi¨¨re asked with furrowed brows. "Isn''t that all I do? How can you say that?"

    Father Benedict simply looked out across the hillside, where many DWindlers gathered together in groups. Some may have been related by blood, and others not.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it great? They¡¯re all alive, Lumi¨¨re.¡± Father Benedict spoke aloud. "Despite a war, despite their circumstances... they''re all alive, and they''re together."

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    ¡°They¡¯re alive, but are they living, Father Benedict?¡± Lumi¨¨re posed with furrowed brows. ¡°To eat, to sleep¡­ to look only forward to the most basic human necessities, is that the essence of ¡®living¡¯?¡±

    Father Benedict seemed surprised to hear Lumi¨¨re retort with reason, so he laughed slightly before looking back towards the gathering of the Dwindlers on the hillside.

    ¡°No, you¡¯re quite right.¡± He smiled. ¡°But I think that before you can triumph, you need hope to face the world head-on. To have access to a place to sleep, and a place to eat- to be alive, and to be together- isn¡¯t that the perfect foundation for hope?¡±

    Father Benedict stood up, placing a hand on Lumi¨¨re''s shoulder as he spoke quietly into his ear.

    "Of all people, I know well that you have the softest heart, Lumi¨¨re. But I think despite that, yours is also the most closed off to all perspectives. I don''t think you can completely understand them." He whispered. "These people, who have seen the heartache and anguish of war... they cannot change the world. They can''t change the systems they live in. They live in a reality of lament. So why shouldn''t they live just to smile at a cold morning''s hot porridge? Why shouldn''t they belove the sun that shines brightly on a cruel world? Who are you to rob them of that by telling them that they¡¯re fools to do so?"

    Lumi¨¨re¡¯s gaze fell towards the ground, his eyebrows twitching as he bit at his lip.

    ¡°Then, if I don¡¯t understand¡­ what should I do?¡±

    Father Benedict spoke simply in response, with his calm and stilled smile.

    ¡°Go talk to them.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re looked at him with a puzzled expression. Usually, the Father¡¯s advice, despite his young age, was some sort of congealed mass of grand wisdom. He wondered if by being offered such simplicity, he was being treated as the focus of a joke of the Father¡¯s.

    ¡°I¡¯m being serious, Lumi.¡±

    ¡®My nickname?¡¯ Lumi¨¨re thought as his eyes widened. ¡®When has this serious bastard ever called me anything other than my name?¡¯

    Lumi¨¨re knew then that Father Benedict was being serious. When the Father spoke to him as a friend rather than as a priest, he knew his words were completely genuine. It was because his mask as a priest was one that Ainsworth Benedict was scared to let slip away.

    "But don''t pay it too much mind. Right now for you, I''m not sure that another perspective matters."

    ¡°Why not?¡±

    ¡°Because you¡¯re steadfast in your views. I¡¯m not saying they¡¯re wrong, I just think you haven¡¯t yet considered the solutions to your problems. You just need time, is all.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re nodded simply in response after hearing his words, and quickly turned away from him before walking down the stone path upon the hillside. He spotted Sister Alinde and the boy from before she had accompanied. Walking up to them, he gave a nod of acknowledgment.

    ¡°Good morning, Lumi.¡± Sister Alinde smiled.

    ¡°That should have been the first thing you said to me.¡± Lumi¨¨re rolled his eyes in a humoured fashion.

    His gaze fell back towards the boy, and in a cursory manner, inquired towards Sister Alinde.

    ¡°Did you find his mother?¡±

    Sister Alinde shook her head. The boy in turn didn¡¯t seem saddened in the slightest. He just looked up at Lumi¨¨re with astute curiosity as he placed his fingers against his lips.

    ¡°Do you mind watching him for a moment, Lumi?¡± Sister Alinde asked of him. ¡°I would like to inquire further with the gathered. Perhaps one of the clusters would know the boy.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re nodded simply, and as Sister Alinde adjourned once more, he was left alone with the boy on the hillside.

    Lumi¨¨re walked up to the child sitting by the wayside. He had a ragged robe draped over his small, malnourished form. Despite his weary looks and his dirtied face, he had a bright smile on his face as he stared at the steaming porridge in the warm bowl he held between his bony fingers.

    ¡°Ah, hello Mr. Croft.¡± The boy smiled softly.

    With a hint of surprise in his eyes, Lumi¨¨re pointed up towards himself.

    ¡°You know my name?¡±

    The boy simply stared back at him in confusion.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure everybody here knows your name, Mr. Croft.¡± The boy smiled humorously. ¡°You, Father Benedict, Sister Alinde, Sister Hulgard, and Mr. Adler are the ones we all trust most.¡±

    He simply nodded in response, as if it made complete sense to him.

    Lumi¨¨re then thought for a moment, before straightforwardly asking the boy his curiosities.

    "How can you smile at simple things like porridge, when your life seems so dull? Do you not ever wish for more?"

    The boy looked at him with a strange expression, as if it had twisted in the most baffled state.

    "How can I wish for more, when this is all I know?" The boy smiled. "Sure, I''ve heard of all the exciting and magical things other kids may be able to do. But, that''s not the life I live. We children of Cobbler''s street- we can only think to grow up as fast as possible. We know our bodies are small and weak. We cannot take on labour jobs as much as the grown men can, so it falls to our mothers to lug us around like heavy burdens..."

    The boy then looked up at the sky with his mellow gaze.

    "Despite that, I wouldn''t think of living any other life. How many other children do you know who get to play so often with their friends? Because of you and the church, our welfare is secured. Because of Mr. Adler, our safety is assured." He spoke brightly. "So, as long as my friends and my mother are alright, I''ve nothing to complain of. I could wish for nothing more. As long as I have all of this, then this is a life that I have enjoyed living."

    "Then life is alright..." Lumi¨¨re repeated under his breath as he glanced off to the side. "Thank you for your answer. I appreciate it."

    ''Although I still don''t get it... Is it because I don''t live the life of a Dwindler that I can''t understand? I want to change their means, and help out those I care about, but would they be opposed to change?''

    Lumi¨¨re let out a sharp, frustrated sigh.

    Suddenly, Sister Alinde came back, leading a seemingly very addled woman by the hand. She immediately ran towards the young boy, holding him in her arms as she sobbed gently. Despite that, however, the boy seemed to hold the same still expression as he always did, looking towards Lumi¨¨re as he spoke a final time towards him.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter too much, Mr. Croft.¡± The boy smiled gently, the skin around his eyelids folding up as his cheeks beamed. ¡°You really shouldn¡¯t worry about it so much. You always do.¡±

    ¡°What does matter then?¡± Lumi¨¨re asked the boy who peered at him over his mother¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Nothing really does, if you always remember.¡±

    ¡®Remember? Remember what?¡¯ Lumi¨¨re asked inwardly, confused.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s why we always try to make each life enjoyable.¡± The boy winked.

    He didn¡¯t particularly know why he was talking to the boy as if he was an adult. He just seemed to give off some considerably mature aura, and Lumi¨¨re couldn¡¯t help but confide in his calm and reserved nature.

    Suddenly, however, the boy¡¯s mother picked him up in her arms, lifting him into the air as he smiled softly.

    ¡°It¡¯s goodbye for now, Mr. Croft. We¡¯ll be seeing each other again soon. Until then, you should be very careful, and become aware of your surroundings.¡± The boy spoke with a still tone of voice, raising his hand to bid farewell. ¡°May the Veridian star guide you.¡±

    The ¡®Veridian star¡¯ was a common reference to the crown of thorns, a moniker left over from the age of vagrants, when one would have the constellations guide them. The three main orthodox goddesses would use the bright green, blue, and red stars to guide vagrants to promised lands to settle. The Architect was often attributed to the sapphire star, and the crimson star was the object of worship for many underground cultists.

    ¡®Ah, I forgot to ask his name¡­¡¯

    ¡°It¡¯s Etta.¡± The boy spoke with a warm, aged expression, winking slightly at the magician.

    ¡®Eh? How did he know I was thinking of such a thing?¡¯

    Lumi¨¨re¡¯s eyes widened. Staring into Etta¡¯s gaze, it looked as if he held the entirety of time¡¯s depth in his irises. Lumi¨¨re had been lost inside his eyes until they had trailed off into the mist of Cobbler¡¯s street.

    ¡®Why are so many strange occurrences happening recently? Will it only continue to get worse? That boy Etta¡¯s words could be considered a warning, and in combination with Thomas¡¯s warning, things are sure to get dangerous. But when and where will the danger appear?¡¯

    To Lumi¨¨re, it seemed as if the Dwindlers were both a treasure trove of perspectives, but also a collection of strange souls who presented immense mystery in their individual stories. He shook the event quickly away from his mind, and nodding to the Sister, adjourned to the monastery.

    ¡®Let¡¯s forget it for the time being. I¡¯ll honour Thomas¡¯s gift to the people first.¡¯

 Chapter 12: Hearty treasure

    He threw his coat to the wayside as he felt the warmth of the front hall wrap around his skin like a blanket of comfort. He then made his way to the kitchen, lacking in its functions, for there was often no food nor ingredients that required more than a simple large iron pot and a wood fire.

    So, he prepared the fire.

    Quickly, he stoked the coals in the iron stove that sat in the corner. As soon as they were exposed to air, they burst forth with crackling embers. Lumi¨¨re then slipped a few sticks into the stove, bringing a small crimson flame to the forefront.

    He pulled out the potatoes from the burlap sack, skewering them with long metal rods before placing them right above the burning embers. For a short time, he turned them over the red-hot coals, before they had developed an even char on their thick skin.

    He then pulled them away from the flame, allowing them to rest on a wooden plate he had prepared beforehand.

    Lumi¨¨re stepped outside as the potatoes were resting, where the cold afternoon air had already fallen away to the rainfall''s dreary mood. Still, the Father and the Sister sat outside, bearing the downpour as they preached the words of the Goddess to the poor and miserable wretches that had gathered.

    The one thing that the Dwindlers would seem to carry with them was a wooden cup as if it were a universal belonging. In the age of rainfall, there was no worry for water. One could set their cup upon the street and wait for the daily bout of crystalline droplets. So, they asked not for water and accepted the porridge that the church handed out every day without wanting for more.

    Lumi¨¨re placed a hand on Father Benedict¡¯s shoulder and leaned his head down in between them as he smiled.

    ¡°You two are almost done, right?¡± Lumi¨¨re smiled.

    ¡°We¡¯re never done being kind, Lumi¨¨re.¡± Sister Alinde spoke with a grin.

    ¡°You know that¡¯s not what I mean.¡± Lumi¨¨re lamented. ¡°When you¡¯re finished up, come inside after washing your hands. I¡¯ve prepared a meal for you. I¡¯ve also prepared some for the needy, so don¡¯t worry too much about serving them lunch.¡±

    Father Benedict and Sister Alinde looked at Lumi¨¨re with faces full of surprise, but their elations nor their questions rang out to be soothed, as Lumi¨¨re immediately adjourned to walk back to the monastery.

    Before he exited the main hall of the monastery, he was sure to inform Caladan and Carlisle of the matter. Both boys, extremely excited, immediately darted upstairs ahead of Lumi¨¨re.

    He climbed up the shoddy wooden stairs at the side wall, entering the hallway where the door to his room sat at the end. He then walked through the door on the right, entering a small dining hall where Lumi¨¨re and the Sister usually ate. The Father would sometimes join them, although he was often too busy managing the monastery to even fathom eating a proper meal.

    In the centre of the room was a well-polished circular table. The wood on the legs was slightly splintered, and the accompanying chairs were warped by age. There were decorative candles placed in the centre, although they had never been lit, so they retained their waxy gleam underneath the lamplight.

    As he took a seat at the table, the door swung open, and the two holy figures of the monastery stepped inside, with curious expressions plastered on their face.

    Sister Alinde saw the steaming potatoes on the table, and while her face immediately filled with her excitement, she pursed her lips and reserved herself. Father Benedict looked at the same sight, and with two furrowed eyes, he spoke aloud.

    "How much did you spend, Lumi¨¨re?"

    The Magician, who had been caught with red hands, turned towards him with a smile.

    "Insignificant."

    Father Benedict''s eyebrows twitched as he spoke once more.

    "How can it be insignificant? You know how stringent our income has to be to provide for so many. The Upper Cathedrals can only spare so much for a background monastery on a near-nameless street...."

    "What do you mean by that? Should you say that every essence of our being should be offered to the Dwindlers, down to the very last penny? By your words, Father Benedict- when and where should you derive your smile from? I''ve spent the money already, so it¡¯s an irreversible fact of reality. I''ve cooked you this food, so you should have a seat and enjoy it. Besides, I¡¯ve prepared more in the other room for the needy, so they¡¯ll be able to enjoy such a treat as well."

    Disregarding Lumi¨¨re¡¯s explanation, he saw that Caladan and Carlisle had already begun to eat their meal, looking satisfied as they dug into the soft insides of the potatoes. The irritated colour immediately flushed out of Father Benedict''s face. He let out a sigh, abandoning his anger as he smiled.

    "You''re right. Sometimes it¡¯s alright for us to experience our own blessings too, isn''t it?" Father Benedict spoke softly. "Thank you, Lumi¨¨re."

    Excitedly, Sister Alinde sat beside Lumi¨¨re. In the same fashion, although quite more reserved, Father Benedict took a seat at the round wooden table. There was no head of the table when it came to the church of the Crown of Thorns. It was to symbolise that despite social standing, whether a wretch or a noble, one was ultimately a servant of the Goddess. As such, no one would sit above one another.

    Lumi¨¨re looked down towards the potato that he had plated for himself. It was steaming hot, releasing thick clouds of smog into the air around him, and its surface had been smeared with a small amount of the creamy sour butter he had purchased from the merchant.

    He met the gaze of the Sister, who smiled back at him excitedly, and in unison, they dug their withered iron forks into the potatoes in front of them. He lifted the fork towards his mouth but hesitated as his gaze wandered back towards Sister Alinde. Lumi¨¨re watched as she placed the piece of potato into her mouth. Her eyes seemed to light up bright as she chewed, and her cheeks grew red with satisfaction as she let out strange groans of delight.

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    While the Sister always smiled, the side of her that was brought out by food was something that made Lumi¨¨re¡¯s heart feel light and airy. He averted his eyes once more and bit down on the softened potato on his fork. Lumi¨¨re¡¯s eyes immediately lit up just as the Sister¡¯s had. The taste was heavy and rich. The softness of the potatoes mixed well with the slightly sour and salty harsh butter that had melted and mixed into its flesh.

    Looking over towards Father Benedict, he could see that the pious and reserved man had already cleared his plate of both the potato and even the butter that had dripped down onto its wooden surface. Lumi¨¨re chuckled inwardly as he witnessed this scene, as it wasn¡¯t often that the priest he had called a friend his whole life broke free from his religious facade.

    Suddenly, Sister Alinde¡¯s face lit up in horror as she stood up.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯ll have to take my leave for now.¡± She apologised as she bowed her head.

    ¡°It¡¯s all right.¡± Father Benedict shook his head as if to allow her to leave immediately. Similarly, seeking their leave, Carlisle and Caladan thanked Lumi¨¨re with their childish profusity before leaving.

    Sister Alinde then immediately adjourned from the dining hall, shutting the thick wooden door behind her. It was then the Father and the Magician alone in the room together. There was a quiet awkwardness between them as if there was nothing more to be said without the Sister acting as a conduit. They had long lost their commonalities as soon as Ainsworth Benedict had dove headfirst into his duties as a priest. Lumi¨¨re sometimes wondered if he had begun to miss the days when the three of them were simple servants in the monastery.

    He let out a heavy sigh, thinking that it would have gone unnoticed as he stood up and walked towards the door that led out of the dining hall. Yet, Father Benedict turned towards the Magician and parted his lips as if to speak.

    "Lumi¨¨re." Father Benedict spoke out suddenly.

    Lumi¨¨re turned towards the priest with curious eyes.

    "Yes?"

    "I know I said the same earlier, but don''t worry too much about understanding others." Father Benedict smiled. "While it''s important, I think it¡¯s more necessary for you to be happy with your own life, and I don''t think that empathising with others is where you''ll find your answer. I know you care for the plights of others, and the way we choose to ¡®help¡¯ them seems like a paltry bandage to you. Still, if you need to find your own way to help them, it doesn¡¯t necessarily have to be with their approval in mind, does it?"

    Lumi¨¨re stared at the Father for a short while as he hung at the edge of the doorway, his head pressed up against the wooden frame.

    ''I shouldn''t empathise? My own answer?''

    ''Does he mean my performance?'' Lumi¨¨re thought tentatively. ¡®No, bringing smiles is also a bandage¡­¡¯

    His eyes were softened, like two marbles of grey-coloured clay.

    ''But is it really that simple? Can I not understand the Dwindlers because the things that I love- my ''sun'' in a cruel world has lost its passion?'' He pondered. ''But still... isn''t my malice from this world separate from my lack of passion? I can still cry out for others without vying to understand them, can''t I?''

    Lumi¨¨re''s brain felt like a mess. It was all like some sort of cluttered spiderweb of thoughts he couldn''t make sense of.

    He wanted to hate the world, but everyone told him it was okay to do otherwise. When he tried to understand their worldviews, he was told that the root of his problems was himself. Then, he wondered how he could fix such a perpetual cycle.

    If he were to change the world, would his mind stop being so messy?

    "Alright." Lumi¨¨re nodded simply towards the Father, before closing the door to the dining hall behind him.

    However, he wanted to exhaust one more perspective before he began to try the Father¡¯s way of moving forward.

    So, later, Lumi¨¨re stepped into Sister Alinde''s room on the second floor, and he was immediately greeted by the smell of linseed oil and turpentine. Dozens of sheets had been scattered about her floor, now covered in a variety of coloured splashes. Dyes, paints, and brushes littered her desk, and her cheek was marked with a soft streak of violet that seemed smeared in an attempt to clear it away.

    He surmised that she had left suddenly to pull the painting away from the windowsill. She would often let the layers of colours dry against the wind, but she had to make sure to set it back inside the safety of her room before the bouts of rain began once more.

    Setting down her brush, Sister Alinde looked with a gentle expression out the window by which gentle orange sunbeams peered out of the dark grey storm clouds.

    "It¡¯s a pretty afternoon, isn''t it?" She spoke softly. "Do you need something from me, Lumi?"

    He hesitated for a moment, but grasping at his shirt, he steeled his heart and spoke out.

    "Do you understand why the Dwindlers can be so happy?" Lumi¨¨re asked her.

    "I do."

    "Even though you aren''t one yourself?"

    Lumi¨¨re''s expression grew curious.

    Sister Alinde turned fully towards Lumi¨¨re, placing her hands on her lap as she smiled.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it beautiful, that despite how cruel the world is, we¡¯re still standing?¡± Sister Alinde spoke aloud. ¡°We humans, we resilient humans, who crumble to each other¡¯s touch, defy the nature of fate. We humans who hate each other, who grieve each other, stand against storms. We humans who love, and who anguish, beware fire, belove it, and feel the warmth of the sun. Isn¡¯t it beautiful, Lumi¨¨re, that we humans can do all of this? Isn¡¯t it beautiful that we get to live in a world where we can defy our fates with a smile?¡±

    Lumi¨¨re¡¯s eyes softened, yet shimmered with a hint of frustration.

    ¡°So, can I not demean this hurtful world¡­?¡± Lumi¨¨re cursed, gritting his teeth as he refused his hand to soothe his aching chest.

    In turn, Sister Alinde simply smiled.

    ¡°You can demean all you want. But then, if you realise the world is so cruel¡­¡±

    She paused for a moment, her gaze turning back towards the window which had started to turn a pale purple.

    ¡°¡­then why aren¡¯t you fighting tooth and nail for the sunlight?¡±

    Lumi¨¨re could feel his heart shatter, and the entirety of his body became enveloped in a deep and suffocating feeling.

    ¡°Why am I not fighting for the sunlight¡­? Why would I do that?¡±

    ¡°If the world is so cruel, then shouldn¡¯t we treasure every little thing that makes us happy?¡± She smiled in return.

    Sister Alinde reached out her hand in an inviting fashion. It looked warm and soft, and Lumi¨¨re swore he could have memorised the comforting patterns of the lines upon her palms in an instant. But, he hesitated to take it.

    ¡®Someone like her¡­ she¡¯s really on an entirely different level, isn¡¯t she? Can I really think like her? Me?¡¯

    His fingertips hovered over her open hand shakily. Suddenly, he lurched forth, pushing Sister Alinde down against the bed, his hand propping him up as he hovered over her. She looked at him with an expression full of surprise, but it quickly calmed when he saw his eyes which teared up so indignantly.

    She reached up with her two softened hands, whose palms were engraved with intricately gentle lines, and adjusted Lumi¨¨re¡¯s falling glasses onto his face.

    ¡°The world will be alright if you choose not to worry about it for a moment.¡± Sister Alinde spoke, placing her hands upon his cheeks which seemed to carry tears like rainfall. ¡°So when we wake up, why don¡¯t we go see the sunrise, and I¡¯ll tell you all about how beautiful the morning time can be?¡±

    With an exasperated breath, Lumi¨¨re fell into her arms with his head against her chest and closed his eyes against the rhythm of her quiet heartbeat.

    ¡°Tomorrow, huh¡­? Alright then.¡±

 Chapter 13: Seed of passion

    === Sixteen Years Prior to Present Day ===

    Four boys and a young girl gathered in a small alcove within the lower borough, where flowers flourished and small grasses seemed to sprout out of the cracks in the stone paving. The girl, who had a head of sandy-blonde hair and sky-blue eyes extended her small hands, which held a silverish object that glimmered under the red morning sun.

    ¡°Is it really all right to accept this?¡± A boy asked with widened eyes. They were a stark greyish-blue, and his ruffled hair fell past his forehead in little curled brown wisps that made the gentle morning breeze seem a blessing.

    ¡°Lumi, Do you think we would have worked so hard to get it for you if we didn¡¯t want you to take it happily?¡± Another boy smiled.

    Lumi¨¨re blinked his eyes once, and a beautiful image was painted before him. Elise Alinde, Ainsworth Benedict, and the two Hammond brothers- Artier and Letis knelt smiling before him. His eyes began to tear up, so he wiped the droplets away with his sleeve before accepting the silver object in Elise¡¯s hands.

    It was a simple pocket watch with a single engraving on its blank surface. Lumi¨¨re looked up towards the group with an expression full of surprise.

    ¡°It says ¡®Everything is okay¡¯ because it really is,¡± Ainsworth spoke softly with a smile.

    The boy with stark-white hair was a bit older than the rest of them, and as the son of the priest of the monastery on Cobbler¡¯s street, he was representative of a leader figure to them.

    Letis reached his hand around Lumi¨¨re¡¯s head, pulling him in close as he placed his forehead on Lumi¨¨re¡¯s with a smile.

    ¡°You¡¯ll never have to go to that place again,¡± Letis smiled.

    ¡°I¡¯ll never have to return home, truly?¡±

    ¡°Truly,¡± Elise replied, sitting beside Lumi¨¨re as she looked down at him gently. ¡°Your mother can do nothing to you as long as you¡¯re with us.¡±

    For a long time, she had admired the boy who would play by the grassy hillside of Cobbler¡¯s street in the spring, in the creek that cut through the lower borough in the summer, crush the leaves under his feet in autumn, and fear returning home in the winter.

    His mother was always waiting there. She didn¡¯t really care where Lumi¨¨re was at any moment, but when he would take a single step into her home, it was as if he was an intruder. He wondered often if she forgot that she even had a son at all.

    So he spent all of his time outside, often with the children of the monastery, and the two sons of the shop on a lonely street of the lower borough. Mrs. Hammond and the Priest at the monastery were happy on most days to take him in, as long as he was willing to help out with trivial matters. On quiet and unbusied days, Artier, Letis, and the children of the monastery would all spend their time with him, and because of that, he never felt an ache for a sense of family at all.

    On his birthday especially, he was treated by them as if he were a prince who deserved to own the world.

    ¡°We¡¯ve got one more surprise for you, Lumi¨¨re,¡± Ainsworth said, humorously gesturing towards the staircase they often used to make their way into the middle borough. ¡°The festival¡¯s today, after all¡­¡±

    The middle borough was unlike the high borough, where one without a sense of majesty to them was socially disavowed from entering. Rather, while there was some fantastical fanciful sense of wonder within the citizens of the middle borough, it was also a place where industrialisation first bloomed; it was filled with a multitude of people who had either come seeking fortune- or to spend theirs.

    As such, a few children weren¡¯t so out of place as long as they were sure to wear thick white clothing over their heads like cloaks. The cloaks allowed them to avoid the gazes of the Peace Keepers draped in white, who saw them as dissidents of the ¡®order¡¯ they loved to keep. So, with linens as white as clouds draped over themselves, they began walking up a staircase splitting through the buildings of the lower borough.

    There were dozens of bright multi-coloured flowers blossoming out of the lines in the paved stone steps, and a canopy of emerald leaves cast the pathway in dancing shadows. The wind would then brush by, creating cracks in the leafy ceiling for the sun¡¯s rays to peer through.

    There were potted fern plants scattered about the roadside, soaking up the remnant puddles of rainfall. In an age where only rain and bits of sun were a constant, it was obvious that flora would flourish. There were the flowers that would sprout from the paved roads and the vines that would blanket the sides of buildings. But there were also the boundless canopies of trees and shrubs that lined the roadsides.

    Leiden was sometimes, although not as often as ¡®land of bastard children and home of misery¡¯, referred to as the ¡®city-state of butterflies¡¯. How couldn¡¯t it be true? In a city full of flowers, there were sure to be more bugs than people.

    Lumi¨¨re wondered often if that meant the city belonged more to the insects than it did the humans. It was a laughable thought to him, although his lungs had been frozen by the cold air, so even a slight chuckle would send him into a coughing fit. Not a bit of pain was worth a laughing matter to him, so he kept a straight and quiet expression.

    In the brush at the wayside, the leaves began to rustle slightly, and a white-glowing rabbit ran past at intense speeds, almost bouncing in midair with its bounding hops as it disappeared from Lumi¨¨re¡¯s sight. It seemed almost as excited as them to arrive within the middle borough. He looked over towards the children beside him to see if they too had spotted the creature, but they simply looked on ahead as if nothing had happened.

    He then looked over towards Elise as they stepped up the stone steps leading up to the middle borough. She noticed his shifting gaze, and still looking ahead with a smile, reached out her hand in offerance towards him. Lumi¨¨re kept walking forward as his eyes widened slightly, but he took her hand in his; his heart began to warm slightly.

    He didn¡¯t say anything, and neither did she, but they both smiled gradually as they came to the edge of the staircase.

    To any adult, perhaps the world was filled with madness. But children were blind, and so the sun was beautiful in the morning time. As the group stared at the wonderment of the middle borough, for what could have been the hundredth time in their life, making it no more than a trivial thing; they felt their hearts ache with euphoria.

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    Besides the flowers and the sprawling stone structures, there were hundreds of brick chimneys spilling smoke into the air. Each house dotting the streets in long lines had polished glass windows, either displaying various wares and regalia- or showing off the quaint and peaceful lives of those who lived in the middle borough.

    Usually, those who could afford to live in or outside of the shopping district were those who worked stable managerial jobs at banks or owned medium-sized businesses. They were those who enjoyed modest comfort and showed off the splendour of their lifestyles to cope with a darker reality.

    To the group of children, however, the men and women who dressed in fine suits and dresses were like rulers of the land with countless retained wealth in their pockets. They were those that paraded around in fanciful rented carriages pulled by horses, or by the new automobiles that were driven by bouts of expelled steam.

    Although, they had no mind to sit and stare at the crowds of the shopping district. Just a short walk down the street, the hooded children came to the festival district, where a large bountiful crowd of hundreds had gathered. Those from the high borough had tactfully avoided the festival, so it was mostly filled with those of the middle borough, and of a few lower-class families who had managed to save enough to avoid working on that day and enjoy themselves.

    As the children walked through the bustling and busied streets of the middle borough, they took in the sights.

    There were bright red, yellow, and blue balloons hanging from metal railings on the roadside, from branches in the bright blossoming trees, and from the electric lamplights that had just been installed along the edge of the stone-paved streets. It was a common day for a parade, an event which happened often in the festival district, and so the entirety of that sector of the middle borough was heavily decorated with festivities.

    The city-state of Leiden was not just famous for the multi-coloured flowers that grew out of its stone, or its factories, or its flowing rivers, or even its incredibly illicit ¡®entertainment district¡¯. Its festivals were its genuine spotlight feature, and the carnival that had settled in the heart of the festival district was its forefront showcase.

    Children gathered around food carts that let out billows of steam from boiling and frying meats, bread, and vegetables. Fresh fruits were sold from wagons parked at the wayside, and other produce was abundant. The springtime was the prized time of year in the century of downpour they had been born into. With trickles of sunshine and intense rainfall, the produce from the farming districts outside of Leiden was harvested in intense abundance. While the middle and high boroughs benefited the most from this, it was the one time of year when the remains were able to trickle down into the lower borough. It was the one time of the year when the sweetness of fruit was able to cross a Dwindler child¡¯s lips. As long as they made their way up the flowering steps, or shrouded themselves and wandered through the gate to the middle borough, they would be able to grab the delicious treat that would be foreign to them otherwise.

    It was the one time of year when everyone could have been said to be at least somewhat ¡®happy¡¯. At least, the hooded children that walked through the streets couldn¡¯t abandon their bright smiles.

    As they moved past the parades and cheering crowds, Letis and Artier noticed the small boy and girl next to them holding hands, and so they began to tease the two.

    ¡°You two should just marry already, shouldn¡¯t you?¡± Letis chided as he bumped into Lumi¨¨re¡¯s shoulder gently.

    Lumi¨¨re recoiled from the contact and let out an exasperated laugh, which made his chilled lungs sting slightly.

    ¡°She wants to be a servant of the Veridian Star.¡± Lumi¨¨re shook his head in puzzlement. ¡°Doesn¡¯t that make one unfit to wed?¡±

    ¡°Perhaps she only wants to serve the Goddess in the absence of you,¡± Artier responded, winking in passing.

    As he met Elise¡¯s reddened face which seemed slightly embarrassed and a bit angered, Artier quickly averted his gaze and kept walking as if nothing had happened with a satisfied devilish smile on his face.

    ¡°Oh, shut it.¡± Elise shook her head disapprovingly as she also averted her gaze, mostly away from Lumi¨¨re, still holding his hand gently as they walked.

    Lumi¨¨re thought as they walked, seemingly lost in his thoughts before he looked over at Elise once more.

    ¡°Will you really become a patron servant of the church?¡± Lumi¨¨re asked of her.

    Elise glanced around furtively before letting out a deep sigh.

    ¡°Perhaps.¡±

    Her response was short and full of annoyance, but when speaking with Lumi¨¨re, her tone and her gaze seemed to soften just a little bit. She had been the first to call him by the nickname that everyone had adopted. She had been the first to suggest taking him in, and soon he would be informally adopted as a servant of the church under the Priest, Benedict.

    ¡°Then, what will you be when you grow up, Lumi?¡± She asked of him.

    Before he could answer, however, they came upon a great spectacle on the corner of the stone-paved street- ''Orulinde Street''. Dozens of spectators had gathered around a singular man who stood high above them, with his hand outstretched, a dancing flame resting in his palm.

    He stood on a platform made up of wood and recycled milk crates painted a stark black. He had a half-top hat of the same midnight colour with a bright white stripe along the top of its rim.

    ¡°Come one, come all, to see the great ¡®illusionist¡¯ perform! He hath no grand stage, nor splendour as a backdrop, and that is all so that his magic dazzles the crowd further!¡± A man shouted out from beside him. It was seemingly his assistant.

    The magician standing on the stage seemed oddly familiar, but at the same time, Lumi¨¨re couldn¡¯t seem to make out a single detail on the man¡¯s face. The group of cloaked children stopped to watch for a short time, and the magician seemed to catch Lumi¨¨re¡¯s gaze out of many.

    The flame dancing in the magician¡¯s hand suddenly burst up high into the air, revealing a bright red rose amidst smoke. As the crowd watched on, the magician danced about on the stage, an endless flow of bright performance that matched with the wind that blew quietly past the spectacle. His smile was intensely warm- as if it was bathing the onlookers in bright rays of sunshine that made them feel at ease. They watched on as he held the rose high into the air, pulling the top hat off of his head and flipping it upside down.

    Then, with obvious gestures that turned the focus towards the flower, he lifted it slowly down into the hat, only for it to be quickly snatched away from his hand. His face didn¡¯t hold any hints of surprise or shock, however. That same smile beamed from his expression before he turned the hat towards the audience. There was seemingly nothing inside of it; not a flower nor beast to snatch it away rested inside the top hat.

    There was some sort of heavy shock within the faces of the crowd. They knew that the concept of ¡®magic¡¯ was frequent within their reality, of blessings of gods and devils alike. Although, since that otherworldly concept rested in the hands of secretive factions of the orthodox churches, they had never for a moment thought that they would see such a thing with their own eyes. Although he was just an illusionist, to them, it seemed just as real as any miracle. His warm smile made it seem almost so. So, they did not fear it as most would.

    The magician took out a thick and heavy dark-brown leather-bound book from the hat before showing it off to the crowd, before dropping it back into the hat. He dropped it back into the hat, but there was no audible sound.

    Reaching back into his extended top hat, the magician¡¯s hand seemed to delve farther into it than physically possible. Before long, he had leaned over completely, his shoulder passing past the rim of the hat as he fished around in its abyss-like depths. The crowd around Lumi¨¨re began to erupt with exasperated and unbelievable praises and astonished gasps, but Lumi¨¨re¡¯s eyes were trained hard on the man himself- as if his heart had been grasped tightly by the performance; his entire view of the world narrowed to him as the only member of the audience, and the magician who acted as the performer on the makeshift stage.

    Suddenly, the magician retracted his hand. In his gloved grasp, he held a white-glowing rabbit that sent Lumi¨¨re¡¯s mind alight with thoughts. Hadn¡¯t he seen such a thing before?

    Was that all just part of the trick? It amazed Lumi¨¨re. He had never known such a thing could be so flashy, so interesting. And as he looked around at the crowd, he could see that they were just as amazed. They had been enthralled by the lone magician and his performance.

    Suddenly, Lumi¨¨re knew the answer he had to Elise¡¯s previous question.

    He wanted to be like the magician who stood on the small stage in front of a handful of people as an audience, bathing them with a warm smile.

 Chapter 14: Out on the town

    Lumi¨¨re was standing in a daze in the middle borough, on a street named ¡®Mercurial Street¡¯, watching the rain subside its endless droves onto the stone paved streets, giving the bursting patches of flowers growing out of the cracks some respite. He had been trying with all of his effort to keep his messy head of chestnut hair from being ruffled in the wind, but with the strength of the crystalline downpour, it seemed almost fruitless.

    Beside him, a woman with flowing golden hair and glimmering sky-blue eyes stood. She had her hands tucked neatly behind her back, and her warm smile seemed to cut through the rainfall. When she was out in public, a nun was unbound by the rules of the church. It served to say that in the same way, she could live a life of normalcy as a woman if she were not standing on what was considered ¡®consecrated ground¡¯.

    ¡°Won¡¯t you take it?¡±

    Sister Alinde had her hand extended outwards towards Lumi¨¨re. He had some slight hesitation, but he still reached out and grabbed it regardless. His face brightened up with a slight red hue, so he glanced away as he stared aimlessly at the rain-strewn ground below him.

    It was Lumi¨¨re¡¯s birthday, so as much as he tried to deny her offers, Sister Alinde had dragged him out of the monastery to celebrate. To him, since the Hammond brothers had grown busy running the shop alongside their mother, and since Father Benedict had busied himself with the matters of the monastery, there had been no real reason to celebrate his birthday.

    Gears whirred in the distance, and as the sun hit its midpoint in the sky, the giant clock tower in the distance began to chime loudly. Metal automatons followed alongside their masters, tasked with keeping track of the children eager to explore. If they were not personal attendants, they were employed as festival workers and handed out various treats and delicacies to the festival goers. They had various shades of skin to give them a somewhat human appeal. After many test versions had been released, the manufacturers behind the servant automatons had realised that walking metal beasts were far too frightful, and so they put utmost effort into disguising them as much as possible, giving them an ¡®almost human¡¯ exterior.

    Peace Keepers in bright white uniforms were patrolling the festival-stricken streets, watching for anything that didn¡¯t conform to ¡®order¡¯, which for many years, had included lone children from the lower borough. In recent years, however, the greater organisation under the Empire, the Heavensward Corps, had begun to relax their idealisation of ¡®order¡¯ under the gaze of the Crown of Thorns, and so the attendance of the festivals had nearly doubled as children travelled through the gates leading up to the middle borough to participate. Although, most weren¡¯t enjoyers of the festival itself.

    Sister Alinde started walking happily down the streets of the middle borough beside him as she swung his and her arm about in the air. The frozen winterish air had fallen away from the sky, and the only clouds in the sky were grey and somewhat far off, threatening only a beautiful morning of sunshine. While it was a century of rainfall within the weather cycle, there were remnants of its predecessor, the age of sunshine, buried within it. In a few years, it was a sure fact that those remnants would fade away, and all that the world would be left with was the constant rainfall.

    So, at least for the time being, the flowers bloomed in the spring sun, laughter filled the air, and the morning sun shined brightly on the flagstone path that led through the middle borough. Children¡¯s laughter filled the air, holding the hands of their parents as they walked through the streets, holding balloons and sweet treats that dripped down towards the ground under the light heat of the sunshine.

    ¡®It¡¯s a little pretty¡­ I suppose.¡¯

    Still, Lumi¨¨re noticed one thing that shook his heart immensely. It was rare that a single child that was smiling was a child of the lower borough. Yet, there were dozens present. He could make out their forms in ragged clothes and dirtied faces. Although it wasn¡¯t too brisk out, their thin bodies shivered in the light breeze. Rather than participating in the festival, however, they were part of it.

    The small children who couldn¡¯t carry the workload of a heavily physical job in the dockyards or the factories would usually end up serving smaller menial roles in the festival district, mercantile belt, or courtesan district. If they were incredibly desperate, those children who couldn¡¯t find jobs in those sections of Leiden would be forced to become thieves for larger groups in what was referred to as the ¡®hustler¡¯s sector¡¯, where cobbler¡¯s street was located. Otherwise, those with near to no hope would find jobs working in the sterile zone, where the sick and contagious were sent to die. Although, the children who went to work there were not allowed to return home so that any disease would fail to spread. It was where one would work until death, sending money back home to their families.

    The festival which the children of the middle borough enjoyed, was an event where other children of the lower borough watched on as they waged. It was a joy denied of them by their birth. There were a few children obviously of the lower borough wandering around, but they were either too young to work, and so travelled up to the middle borough on their own in secret, or their parents had managed to gather enough wealth for a singular yearly outing without worrying about having enough to eat for the day.

    ¡°So, this is your idea of ¡®beauty¡¯?¡± Lumi¨¨re posed towards her as he watched the passing crowd from the sidelines.

    ¡°The sun is out¡­ there¡¯s laughter about¡­ is it not a beautiful day to you?¡±

    ¡°If it isn¡¯t a beautiful day for everyone, then I don¡¯t think it is at all.¡±

    Sister Alinde looked at him with a humoured expression.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s why we do what we do.¡± Sister Alinde smiled. ¡°We are trying desperately to level the playing field so that everyone can enjoy a festival on a day like this¡­¡±

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    ¡°Progress is stagnant. The world needs a change. We can¡¯t just glide past riding on unsure hope.¡±

    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you be that change?¡± Sister Alinde posed. ¡°If performing to make people smile for a moment isn¡¯t soothing your heart, then why not perform to make the world smile for eternity?¡±

    ¡°A performance that can make the world smile forever? Isn¡¯t that too grand a task? What should I do in the meantime?¡±

    ¡°Well, while you figure it out, what¡¯s wrong with enjoying your own circumstances a little bit? You can¡¯t help everyone, so you should buy potatoes every so often for you and the people around you, right?¡±

    Lumi¨¨re¡¯s eyes widened slightly as he listened to her words.

    ¡°So while I figure out a way to change the world, I should just enjoy it, and help as many people as I can?¡± Lumi¨¨re asked with a shocked expression. He felt as if he had arrived at the direct answer with Sister Alinde¡¯s help. It was something that could both reignite his passion and fix the circumstances of others around him. Moreover, enjoying one¡¯s circumstances, although a little bit counterintuitive to his current beliefs, might have been what the Father and the Sister meant by ¡®the beauty of the sun in a cruel world¡¯.

    ¡°Children are blind to faults. So, until they grow up, maybe you don¡¯t have to worry too much about them. All the children working here will find some way to enjoy their lives. Playing with friends, momentary spring treats, and enjoying the festival on their breaks¡­ humanity always finds a way to flourish in the dark, like a flower determined to bloom.¡± Sister Alinde spoke with a gentle smile. ¡°So you have at least that much time.¡±

    ¡°Until the children grow up, huh?¡± Lumi¨¨re held a humoured smile on his face.

    As soon as he had released some anxiety in his heart, his surroundings seemed to glow a bit brighter under the sun. Especially so were the flowers growing on vines against the stone walls of the buildings that burst with intense colours.

    ¡®So is this it...? Can things be so simply beautiful, and stand in stark contrast to the ugly parts of the world? Does that in turn make them that much more of a treasure?¡¯

    ¡®The sun in a cruel world¡­¡¯ Lumi¨¨re mused inwardly as he stepped out into the street, pulling Sister Alinde by her hand along with him.

    The musicians by the wayside had begun to heighten the depth of their song in the wake of the sun, and so mercurial street was filled with the bright tunes of the orchestra. So, leading her by the hand, Lumi¨¨re began to sway about in the street, a bright smile plastered upon his rosy cheeks. Sister Alinde¡¯s face seemed to brighten up as well, despite her surprise, but she began to sway along with his movements, caught up in a dance in the middle of the crowded street.

    Too did those around them seem to brighten up slightly, watching on as the two danced about beside them. However, they were too caught up in their own moment to notice. So, as the two danced on, the crowd around them seemed to join in. Those who had partners seemed to sway about, and those without still stood in place, caught up in the bright atmosphere of mercurial street. Even the children, those of both middle and lower birth seemed to join in at the wayside, abandoning their tasks for but a moment, enthralled by the smiles of the people that seemed to spread around like the plague.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you see?¡± Sister Alinde mused as she directed his gaze to those who had gathered around them. ¡°As soon as you begin to enjoy your own life, doesn¡¯t it become that much easier to spread a smile? How could someone be happy, if those around them aren¡¯t already happy?¡±

    ¡°Perhaps I was wrong, and you were quite right.¡± Lumi¨¨re smiled warmly, twirling Sister Alinde about in his arms as he looked at her gently.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s always why you choose to seek me out above others. I surely am only ever right.¡±

    The two of them filled the halls of the long festival street with laughter as the sun reached the midpoint of the bright blue sky, and soon those that had gathered started to trickle away to enjoy the rest of the festivities.

    Soon, it was only the two of them that stood on the lone corner, apart from one more person. A woman was standing apart from them, wearing a bright white cloak with golden embellishments stitched into its surface, with a glimmering silver brooch keeping it draped over her shoulders. Her long black hair was tied back behind her head, and her glimmering blue eyes seemed to soften as she stared at Lumi¨¨re. It was Artis Faulkner, the ¡®Genius Blade¡¯ that Lumi¨¨re dueled with often at the Fencer¡¯s association.

    She stepped up slightly, her gaze averted from Lumi¨¨re as she looked at Sister Alinde. Her eyes widened slightly, almost horrified, as if something that she had long suspected had been confirmed at that moment. Artis abandoned that look on her face as a quiet smile washed over her expression, looking back towards Lumi¨¨re as she parted her lips as if to speak.

    ¡°She¡¯s a little prettier than I imagined. Rather, after all this time, I was sure she would have been a deformed mess.¡± Artis spoke softly. ¡°Is this woman the reason you won¡¯t marry me?¡±

    Sister Alinde¡¯s eyes widened slightly, and she had to desperately attempt to purse her lips to prevent herself from bursting out with some sort of hurried slight. She simply held a gentle falsified smile on her face before gripping Lumi¨¨re¡¯s hand even tighter. He jolted from this action, but he too held a smile on his face as he put up a front. However, what escaped his lips didn¡¯t exactly match his expression.

    ¡°Yes.¡± He spoke softly.

    His cheeks lit up a bright rosy colour, and it took all of his strength not to avert his gaze in embarrassment. Sister Alinde¡¯s face took on a surprised expression once more, but it was quickly appeased by a look of satisfaction.

    ¡°I see.¡± Artis sighed out loud. ¡°Well, I¡¯m not sure it¡¯ll matter for too much longer. As long as I¡¯ve remembered, it never really does...¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡± Lumi¨¨re asked in a confused tone of voice. ¡°I¡¯m not quite sure I understand.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you will eventually. Goodbye for now, Mr. Croft.¡± Artis spoke in a cold tone, before turning her back towards him. As her cloak fluttered in the gentle breeze, Lumi¨¨re¡¯s eyes widened. A sharp pain struck his mind, and his surroundings turned a pitch-black colour, like streaks of blood falling from the sky. He could see eyes burgeoning in the sky, bloodshot and widened as if staring down at him in unison, and a glowing white rabbit began to run through the fog that formed in the street. Everything seemed oddly familiar.

    He stumbled slightly to the ground, and Sister Alinde quickly knelt to ascertain his condition. He could feel fear, intense fear. It was human fear. Its origin was endless, and yet nonexistent. With the abilities bestowed upon him by Lord Sinner, he could not trace it. It felt exactly like when he had signed the Deity¡¯s contract. IT was like a warning that danger was imminent.

    ¡°Are you all right, Lumi?¡± She exclaimed worriedly.

    Lumi¨¨re didn¡¯t answer, instead staring in the direction of Artis Faulkner, who had seemingly disappeared into the spring air, leaving nothing in her wake. His body trembled slightly, and his nerves felt a little cold. Everything felt strange to him.

    Although, he wasn¡¯t horrified by the sight itself mostly, but more that it felt all too familiar to him.

    In fact, despite the pain, the familiar sense made his heart feel warm.

 Chapter 15: Mage in the mist

    === Sixteen years prior to Present Day ===

    ¡°It¡¯s a wonderful afternoon, isn¡¯t it, little Dreamer?¡± A man¡¯s gentle voice spoke out into the quiet spring air.

    Lumi¨¨re stood facing a man with thick curly brown hair and a vague sense of eyes like a calm subsiding storm. He had a well-sculpted face and pale but fair skin that lacked any marks or blemishes. Although, the more that Lumi¨¨re tried to ascertain the details of the man¡¯s appearance, his face seemed to warp and grow blurry and unrecognisable to his eyes.

    He had a half-top hat coloured black with a bright white stripe along the top of its rim. He also wore a dark three-piece suit that matched the colour of his hat, with a white handkerchief tucked in his breast pocket. Above all, past the blurry features of his face, he had a warm smile that seemed to bathe comfort over Lumi¨¨re.

    It was the magician who had performed on the street corner just moments prior. Although the crowd had nearly dispersed completely to move on to the other events of the festival, Lumi¨¨re had stayed behind to inquire into matters of the magician¡¯s craft.

    ¡°Little dreamer?¡± Lumi¨¨re repeated out loud with a sense of stupor.

    ¡°Anyone with eyes that can see the world with a fresh perspective can dream of many impossible things, and strive to make them a reality. Above all, you are quite free to do as much as you want, for as long as you want.¡± The Magician smiled softly. ¡°So, you are a ¡®little dreamer¡¯ because you can do absolutely anything that you can think to dream of.¡±

    The Magician leaned down towards Lumi¨¨re, having been standing up above on the midnight-coloured platform made of milk crates.

    "Did you enjoy the show, little Dreamer?"

    "I did enjoy it. Will you do many more shows, Mr..."

    Lumi¨¨re was at a loss, for he had never actually heard the magician''s name. So, he felt a little embarrassed as he blankly stared at the man.

    "My name is Demeter." The magician smiled softly. "As for my events... this may just be the last one I ever do."

    "Why is that?"

    "Soon, my purpose will be fulfilled. There''s no longer a need for me to perform."

    "That''s quite sad," Lumi¨¨re said dejectedly.

    "I don''t think so. I think it''s very beautiful, for the end of it all to be so peaceful and fulfilled."

    Lumi¨¨re squinted as he tried desperately to think of why he would wish for something he enjoyed to end, but he couldn''t seem to empathise with the magician in the slightest. So, he posed another question.

    ¡°Why are you a magician, above all other things?¡±

    Demeter then answered with another question.

    ¡°Have you ever seen a friend cry, little Dreamer?¡±

    ¡°Many times.¡±

    ¡°When someone is sad, or feeling awful feelings, sometimes the best thing you can do is give them a distraction from their own heart.¡± The blurred Magician spoke brightly- as if it was a matter of fact.

    ¡°Can your magic do all that?¡± Lumi¨¨re asked with a curious expression crossing his face.

    ¡°I think that all things that are grand and performative can do that. It isn¡¯t really about the magic itself, but the enthralling loftiness that can capture someone¡¯s heart. As long as you are lost in that breathless euphoria, it¡¯s almost impossible not to smile.¡±

    ¡°That almost seems like magic in itself.¡± Lumi¨¨re laughed softly, unable to feel anything but warm and bright in the magician¡¯s presence. "Then, is the purpose of magic to bring smiles?"

    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    "I''m sure that magic''s purpose is what you make it, little dreamer. To bring smiles... it''s surely mine."

    "Then I think I too would like to be a magician."

    "If that''s what you''d like to do, then you could start learning even now."

    "How?" Lumi¨¨re asked.

    "Is there someone you want to make smile the most?"

    Lumi¨¨re thought for a moment, but slowly, an assured expression began to cross his face.

    "So, how should I make her smile?"

    The Magician''s lips crept up gently as if it was an answer he wanted to hear most. He began to reach out his hand like he was going to ruffle the hair on Lumi¨¨re''s head, but he forcefully stopped himself, his nerves tense and shaky as he retracted his hand. Instead, he reached into his suit''s inner pocket and pulled out a white handkerchief almost identical to the one tucked into his breast pocket.

    He then unravelled it, revealing a brightly gleaming iron-wrought flower tucked into the velvet cloth.

    "I wouldn''t go as far to say that women are much more sentimental than men, but I think that things like this can become the centrepiece of a most treasured memory for them," Demeter spoke with a gentle smile. "Although, like every ''performance'', the way you present it matters. You''re trying to create a warm environment that makes people smile, and in this instance, you should try to make it a rememberable, genuine memory."

    "How can I do all that?"

    "You seem like a kindhearted person, little dreamer. So just be yourself, and give her this pin, and tell her that it carries the most heartfelt feelings of your heart."

    Lumi¨¨re''s face reddened slightly, but he didn''t let his embarrassment be voiced and nodded slightly.

    Demeter stood up from where he had knelt on the wooden platform, standing high above Lumi¨¨re with a faint, unrecognisable smile. He seemed to be looking down at Lumi¨¨re with a tentative, longing gaze.

    "I''ll be going now," Demeter spoke simply.

    "Will I see you again?" Lumi¨¨re asked with widened, almost saddened eyes.

    He couldn''t pin down the exact origin, but looking at the man who seemed quite far away, even though he stood so close, Lumi¨¨re felt his heart begin to tear itself apart.

    "Always."

    Demeter parted his lips once more, but quickly and shakily bit at his tongue, as if he had resigned himself to say no more.

    "Allow me to present you with one, singular grand finale, little dreamer," Demeter spoke gently, extending his palm outwards as if to gesture towards the stage behind him.

    In the corner street of the entertainment district which seemed to quietly cloak itself in mist, only the young dreamer and the magician stood opposed, meeting each other''s gaze even though both seemed distant and unrecognisable, as if a glass curtain had been raised between the two.

    "With all my regards, I wish you the best of life," Demeter spoke aloud.

    He had the wildest and warmest grin spread across his face as he raised his arms outwards as if embracing the warmth of the sun above him. Slowly, the mist that had enveloped the street began to wrap itself in a cloak around him, and in an instant, his form withered into the nothingness of the air.

    "Goodbye, my little dreamer."

    Unconsciously, Lumi¨¨re felt his hand reach up as if to grab at the magician, but at that point, there was nothing left atop the black-painted wooden stage. In the street filled with mist, only Lumi¨¨re remained.

    On top of the wooden platform, where Demeter had once stood, was a black half-top hat with a bright white stripe along the top of the rim. Without looking around him, Lumi¨¨re climbed up onto the stage and picked up the felt hat in his small hands.

    "Well, until you return, Mr. Demeter, I will care well for your belongings." Lumi¨¨re smiled softly.

    Soon after, carrying the top hat underneath his arm, he met up with the group that had temporarily moved on to the other events of the festival. However by that point, a thick mist had gathered in the streets, and rain began to pour in droves onto the street.

    "Lumi!" Letis exclaimed happily, running up to the boy before wrapping an arm around his shoulder. "Did you have a good talk with that magician?"

    "If you learned any magic, surely you could conjure some fantastical sights." Artier grinned.

    Lumi¨¨re just shook his head in turn.

    "No, I didn''t learn any magic from him, at least not as you''re imagining..."

    He took the half-top hat that had been tucked under his arm and slipped it onto his head. Despite him being much shorter and smaller than Demeter, the hat seemed to fit his head perfectly. So, Lumi¨¨re allowed his lips to curl upwards, a warm and gentle smile plastered onto his expression as he stepped towards Elise, who stood silently at the wayside with a curious expression.

    He reached into his pocket, fishing around until he found the cold iron that rested within. Then he pulled it out, revealing a small glimmering flower pin in his warm hands, pinning it against the collar of Elise''s shirt with a smile.

    "This is for you, Elise."

    She looked down at her collar, before looking up towards him once more.

    Although, quite different from what Lumi¨¨re had been expecting, instead of a smile crossing Elise''s face, she began to cry outwardly. Instead of covering her expression, however, Elise rushed forth and caught Lumi¨¨re with the full of her weight, wrapping her arms around his small body.

    "Lumi... thank you..." She cried out.

    The other boys around the two let their gazes wander away- as if they hadn''t noticed their interaction at all, caught up in the swirling of the grey storm clouds above.

    "I just want you to be happy, so don''t cry too much..." Lumi¨¨re spoke gently as he put a hand on top of her head comfortingly.

    Elise simply nodded in response as she looked back up towards him with a tear-strewn expression.

    "Alright." She said as she smiled.

 Chapter 16: Deliverance from madness

    ''Has my hair gotten longer in this past week?'' Lumi¨¨re stared in the mirror in his room, a little puzzled. ''I don''t have time to cut it, so maybe I should resort to tying it back for now.''

    Lumi¨¨re searched through countless drawers before he stumbled upon a spool of twine.

    ''I''ve no fancy laces or headbands. This is how I''ve always done it...'' Lumi¨¨re sighed inwardly. Cutting away a strand of twine, he pulled the excess hair behind his head before tying it away in a small strand. He let out a sigh of relief, no longer having to deal with the excess stimulation as he moved forward with his day.

    As he looked at himself in the mirror, he wondered. ¡®Was that illusion of that figure¡­ of that other me really a hallucination? Thomas once mentioned another me¡­ a persona¡­ is that figure connected to the powers of the Lord Sinner?¡¯

    He put the thought aside. Something like that could be asked of Thomas at their next meeting.

    After getting dressed, Lumi¨¨re stepped out of the monastery. Sister Alinde and Father Benedict were out by the hillside, but Lumi¨¨re turned his head away from them. Even after talking with Sister Alinde the night before, his head felt like a mess, so he wanted to clean up the fog in his mind before anything strange happened again.

    ''Those visions... I don''t know if I''ve really gone crazy this time. Why had I experienced that feeling yesterday? It felt like a warning of that danger that Thomas and that boy Etta mentioned. But why? Have I gone crazy, or is this related to the powers Lord Sinner bestowed upon me? There¡¯s only one way to determine one or the other¡­''

    As Lumi¨¨re got lost in his thoughts, he had been walking down further into Cobbler''s street, which curved along the outside of the stacked housing district, Etten-Leur, and the Steel Wastes. It was filled with every essence of bitterness left behind from the middle and high boroughs, and even in the rot of the lower borough, it was a street not many chose to walk. Dwindlers, as they had been deemed, were not just those without homes. They were those who had been disavowed completely by the Forger Empire.

    Their children, their children''s children, and all relatives that would follow would be forced into that pitiful life; it was a life of meandering mindlessly in the cold rain. If one fell into debt or committed a crime that was not punishable by death or lengthy imprisonment, this was all they could look forward to. By law, unless they were able to pay off the debts they owed, they would be forced to live the life of a Dwindler. They could never be allowed to take work on themself that would allow them to sustain a normal and healthy life. If they grew ill, they would be thrown into the quarantine zone in the outstretches of the lower borough. If they were hungry, they could only seek help from the churches or turn to crime. Above all, they were not allowed to rent or purchase homes, not that they could afford it anyway.

    So, they would wander. They would take work where they could, whether in the dockyards or the factory district, risking their lives and bodies for next to nothing. The Dwindlers who received food from the churches regularly would choose to save that money as a way to foster hope for their futures, but the unlucky few would have to spend every coin earned to sustain a pittance of a meal every couple of days. Unfortunately for the Dwindlers, that existence wasn''t their worst fear.

    A few years prior, Lumi¨¨re had witnessed the remnant horrors of the latest war with the neighbouring Eastern continent, Baruunlan. What could have been a more menial job than that of a soldier? As such, all Dwindlers fit to fight did. If they were male, and of a somewhat-acceptable age, they would have been given a weapon and forced into the zone that split the continents in two; it was a horrific sight, of grass that would never grow, and soil stained a permanent red. When the rain fell, of which it did each day, that mud would turn into a horrific sea of blood, which soldiers were forced to wade through- or add to.

    It wasn''t a choice, either. Conscription hit the lower borough the hardest. There was an option to pay your way out of it, as funding would help the war efforts. But if you weren''t so lucky as to have enough money, then you could only pray to whichever deity you believed in that the sights you would witness weren''t as horrific as to scar you. Thankfully, as an unofficial member of the Church of the Mother of Thorns, which served the general well-being of the public, Lumi¨¨re was able to avoid conscription, the same as Father Benedict had.

    But as someone who didn''t attend to the horror of warfare, his fresh eyes full of sanity witnessed the gaze of those without it. Dwindlers were sitting on the sidelines of Cobbler''s street, under stone buildings which seemed to crumble further with every second. Grime and filth had stained the ground, and still, they chose to sit in it. Fires burned upon piles of rubbish and reclaimed pallet wood, giving some sense of freedom from the cold air.

    Although, as Lumi¨¨re walked through the stinking streets, he noticed one man walking parallel to him. He had a seemingly grizzled face underneath the hood of his black cloak, and blood-red eyes which peered fiercely from the shade. His mouth, which was barely illuminated by the emerging ruby sun, seemed to be muttering incessantly.

    ''Is that the man who eats rats...? I wonder where he''s been all this time. If he''s going this direction, he must be heading to the church to eat."

    As the man past him, Lumi¨¨re''s gaze darted wildly towards him as his expression grew surprised. That was because he began to hear what it was that the man was murmuring. He was constantly repeating a single word- ''Sinner''.

    "Excuse me!" Lumi¨¨re called out as he turned towards the man, spinning his body around suddenly.

    The rat man stopped in his tracks, his head turning towards Lumi¨¨re as he waited for him to continue. Lumi¨¨re cleared his throat before speaking once more.

    "When you say ''Sinner'', what is it exactly that you mean?"

    The rat man stepped a bit closer to Lumi¨¨re, and although he felt a bit uncomfortable in front of the towering presence, he stood firm as he looked upwards. The rat man''s muttering mouth seemed to curve upwards suddenly, revealing a crude and wide smile that bared every single one of his chipped and sharpened teeth. His blood-red gaze grew fiercer and seemed to glow an incandescent bright colour as he parted his lips to speak.

    "You."

    After speaking a single word, and leaving a horrified expression on Lumi¨¨re''s face, the rat man turned his back and began to walk down Cobbler''s street once more. While his vision didn''t darken, Lumi¨¨re''s heart palpitated fiercely, and his skin grew cold and clammy as if he was experiencing a fever. His hair seemed to prick up, and he felt chills run down each of his bones in unison. He watched the man walk down towards the church while thoughts raced through his mind at high speeds.

    ''Me? How did he know my affiliations? Who is that man? Is he just another of the strange occurrences? I need to determine if I¡¯ve really gone crazy or not, quick.''

    Multiple possibilities began to race through Lumi¨¨re''s head, but before he began to discount any of them, he quickly shook away the thought.

    ''It''s no use worrying about it right now. I haven''t come here to think about it anyway. That man will eat and leave as he always does, I¡¯m sure. It¡¯s not the first time Father Benedict has had to deal with a crazed man.''

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    Before long, Lumi¨¨re came to a dilapidated building made of stone bricks that was lit up by exterior lamplight. The windows had been boarded up and the front door was guarded by two men with thick black beards and gleaming blue eyes.

    ''Twins?'' Lumi¨¨re pondered as he stood before the two men, the tail of his coat fluttering slightly in the morning wind. ¡®They must be new. I haven¡¯t seen them around before. Will it be difficult to get in¡­?¡¯

    "Good morning, gentlemen."

    The two men looked towards Lumi¨¨re in unison with steeled, solemn gazes that seemed to pierce through the entirety of his being. Slowly, their hands began to reach towards the back of their waistbands, and Lumi¨¨re apprehensively took a step back.

    "That''s not something you''d want to do." A voice sounded out suddenly.

    Lumi¨¨re''s gaze unconsciously shifted upwards and to the right, where a figure with cloud-white hair and light-blue eyes hidden behind a silver monocle held a soft yet characteristically nervous smile- as if his heart couldn''t bear to speak so loudly. He had pale white skin and thick black tattooed markings underneath his eyes.

    "He''s a guest of the boss. He''s always welcome past those doors, gentleman." The man smiled nervously.

    He was the left-hand of the crime boss Constantine, the ''Silver Fox of the Steel Wastes'', Adonis Trinder.

    "Thank you, Mr. Trinder." Lumi¨¨re smiled in response.

    Adonis nodded silently.

    "Is Mr. Adler in?"

    Shifting his posture to sit atop his foot, Adonis shook his head.

    "Mr. Adler and..." Adonis paused as his face brightened up slightly- as if something embarrassing had crossed his mind. "...and the right hand have gone out. Urgent business, he said."

    ''On the mere thought of his name? How deep has Eamon burrowed his way into the Steel Fox''s heart?'' Lumi¨¨re let out a silent sigh as he chuckled inwardly. ''This man used to be feared as a silent killer, but now he''s submissive to a fool. Is love so strong that it would pacify a deadly calamity?''

    "I''m here to see Ms. Morelli. Will that pose any issues for you, Mr. Trinder?"

    Adonis shook his head once more without saying a single word, so Lumi¨¨re nodded in confirmation and averted his gaze. To talk so much with the Fox of the Steel Wastes was an anxious event, even if he seemed so calm and simple on the surface. Lumi¨¨re looked back towards the two similarly-looking men guarding the door, who had by then drawn away their hands from the concealed weapons behind their waists, and stepped aside to allow him to pass.

    When Lumi¨¨re passed through the shoddy door, he wasn''t greeted by the sight of endless luxury, as one would expect of a criminal group. Rather, Constantine''s home of operations wasn''t filled with endless wealth. What he made from his endeavours was split up between those underneath him, and the remains were often given out to the Dwindlers of Cobbler''s Street. That is why Lumi¨¨re often revered him as the sun that Father Benedict would speak of. That is why Constantine Adler had become one of Lumi¨¨re''s most beloved friends.

    There were dozens of members of the Blackfeather Group darting about, either carrying around heavy boxes of some sort of cargo or conversing, drinking and gambling atop large circular wooden tables that looked as if they would snap apart if one were to slam their fists downwards. Lit up by lamplight, it looked more like a tavern than a base of criminal operations. However, it somewhat delighted Lumi¨¨re every time he saw it because it looked as if it was Constantine''s heart splashed onto a surface- the picture-perfect representation of who he was. There was fun in having a home, even in the face of crime.

    Constantine Adler was a ''man of the people'', and so the ''crimes'' that the Blackfeather Group would commit were sure not to implicate or harm those of the lower borough. This often included the distribution of illegal spirits and alcohol, counterfeiting and laundering of bank notes, and general fraud. As long as the wealth came from a source of abundance, Constantine paid it no mind. That was why everyone on Cobbler''s Street overlooked their operations, and why the church paid him no attention at all. It was most of all why Lumi¨¨re adored him so much. In a world where Lumi¨¨re couldn''t think to change so much, Constantine had made a constant effort to do at least a bit, and so he was the model by which Lumi¨¨re wished to mould himself, like a greater man he could aspire to be.

    On his right, there was a metal automaton that seemed almost human. His exterior had been painted a dark brown colour, and he had been dressed in fanciful servant¡¯s attire. If it weren¡¯t for the seams on his skin, or the obvious bolts holding metal plates together, Lumi¨¨re would have thought him human. They were mostly conscious, although they had been built specifically for servile use, and so they didn¡¯t initiate idle conversation unless specifically spoken to. So, Lumi¨¨re ignored the metal creature.

    With a sigh, he passed the automaton. He was quite wary of them. Lumi¨¨re took a right through an open doorway, failing to knock as he walked in. He then sat down carelessly on a bright red sofa which faced an ornate wooden desk illuminated by flickering lamplight. Behind the desk sat a woman with light pink hair tied behind her head, with locks that fell past her ears. Her eyes were like blossoms and held a sense of mature sultry humour that tried to mask the dead and soulless nature of her gaze. She wore a soft-coloured black dress that flowed down towards her ankles and a brown knit shawl that was draped over her shoulders.

    Slowly, she turned around to face Lumi¨¨re with a look of both fascinated annoyance and some sort of astute pleasure.

    "Good morning, Lumi¨¨re." The woman smiled softly.

    "Good morning, Callie."

    Calista Morelli was the physician who oversaw the safety of the operations of the Blackfeather Group. Constantine Adler had carefully poached her from a medical program at the National University of Leiden. She had been promised high pay, and Lumi¨¨re was privy to the knowledge that a large sum of the Group''s funds went to her every month. In Lumi¨¨re''s eyes, from an outsider''s perspective, she seemed both a leech and a necessity.

    Calista immediately got straight to business.

    "Why are you here, Lumi¨¨re?" Calista smiled genially, the corners of her eyes narrowing as she focused in on him as if eyeing every part of his body. "Nothing seems particularly wrong with you, although I suppose you could be a bit taller... more fit... a nicer face perhaps?"

    Lumi¨¨re scoffed, meeting the woman''s bright pink gaze as he looked over her in response. Although, even if he wanted to, there was really nothing he could say to hurt her. For whatever man could afford a leech-like her, he would surely gain a beautiful bride in turn. Lumi¨¨re was also quite sure that Calista was aware of her sour personality, which is why she chose to cover it up with a mask of humour.

    "I''ve felt a bit... off recently," Lumi¨¨re said, skipping straight to the point.

    "Sexually?" She teased. "Is that nun not enough for you? I suppose you''re still young, so you''d want to explore what the world has to offer. Then, should we do it here?"

    Lumi¨¨re shook his head in response.

    "It''s not like that between me and the sister. And despite your kind offer, I could never bother to accept it." He retorted.

    "Ah, I see. You must be lacking in experience. You''re a bit scared to feel what the beauty of the world is like."

    "I think I can source that elsewhere. I''ve no need for you."

    "I think you do, otherwise why would you come here? There''s surely something you would need from me. I don''t think you would pay a soulless woman like me a visit for no reason. When you say that you''ve been ''feeling off''- if not like that, then how?"

    "That''s not quite what I meant... I''ve been seeing and hearing things, and my head has often felt like a mess."

    "You know I don''t deal in matters of the mind," Calista spoke tersely. "When one of Adler''s men gets shot in the chest, I sew them up or I put them in a bag. That''s all I can manage, Lumi¨¨re."

    "I know you have some knowledge in that big head of yours." Lumi¨¨re smiled softly, leaning forward to hug his knees as he curled up atop the chair. He rested his chin on his knees as he looked forward towards the blossom woman.

    "Then try telling me, although I can''t promise anything." Calista sighed as she rested her head on her hand.

    For a long time, until the sun hit the midpoint in the sky, and gradually began to set, Lumi¨¨re recounted his various experiences over the last week, and how he had seen intense horrors and shadows, although he withheld his meetings with Thomas, his contract with an evil Deity, and the fight against the human amalgamation.

    "You said it all started after one of your performances?" Calista asked with a serious expression on her face. "You also felt the same feeling when looking at one of the Dwindlers, the one who eats rats? When did you last see this man?"

    "I saw him on my way here, actually... he looked just about the same, although this time, I could see this thin aura around him, almost like I was hallucinating a shadow that lined the entirety of his form..."

    Calista''s eyes widened as she shot forward in her seat.

    "Lumi¨¨re, return home immediately. If everything seems off, don''t step inside the building. Just come back here immediately, and I''ll have Adler figure something out." Calista spoke seriously, her gaze having tensed up along with her body. "Well, I would come alongside you, but I''m really quite selfish when it comes to my own safety."

    "What the hell are you talking about all of a sudden?"

    She met Lumi¨¨re''s gaze in an instant, her eyes that were once dull growing filled with a fearful pained emotion.

    "If you¡¯re sure you saw some sort of aura around him, and he was definitely heading towards the monastery on Cobblers Street¡­ Lumi¨¨re, your nun and priest are probably in serious danger."

 Chapter 17: Silver flames

    Lumi¨¨re ran through Cobbler''s street, having forgotten any sense of cautiousness within the seeping dark atmosphere.

    ¡®Please, forgive my lack of cautiousness, Goddess! You wouldn¡¯t let them take your most devoted servants, would you!?¡¯ His eyes were wild, desperate. He had been warned time and time again of the approaching danger, but he thought it would directly target him. He had no thought of it targeting the monastery itself. He was a fool.

    The sun had faded and given way to the lilac moon, and rain began to pour down without withdrawal. There was a slight murmuring of thunder in the distance, and bright flashes of lightning occurred in the hilltops. Soon, Lumi¨¨re reached the hillside on which the monastery had been built, and an eerie horror clutched at Lumi¨¨re''s heart. On the hillside, where at night one would have found all the male Dwindlers gathering, there was not a single person present. Small firepits had been left untended under the rain, protected by small awnings that Father Benedict had built for them, with minute amounts of fading embers crackling away at the charred wood.

    Lumi¨¨re looked up towards the monastery that rested past a small stone staircase past a group of trees, only to realise that its door had been left slightly open. He quickly stepped up the steps, steeling his gaze and his quickly beating heart as he carefully pulled the door handle towards him. As soon as he stepped inside, Lumi¨¨re was assaulted by a thick putrid scent that had a hint of sickening sweetness. He covered his nose and stepped inside, pulling off his hat and setting it to the side.

    The candlelight in the monastery had been extinguished, and only a faint glint of purple moonlight shone in from the stained glass window. Lumi¨¨re walked over to the side of the monastery''s main hall, being carefully quiet to give away his presence, and took one of the oil lamps off of the wall. He pulled a match out from his pocket, striking it against the matchbox and using it to light the lamp. He then turned it towards the interior of the hall, illuminating the area in a dim glow.

    Lumi¨¨re''s eyes widened with a sense of horror and fear that struck his heart at the same time, sending his mind into a fierce and irresistible turmoil. He stumbled backwards. On the ground in front of him, as well as the walls, pews, and altar of unlit candles which sat underneath a statue of the Goddess of Thorns had been covered in the remains of human bodies.

    Standing in the centre of the endless corpses, bathed in a coat of bright crimson blood, a man in a black cloak whose hood had been pulled away stood calmly, revealing his scarred and paled face to the lamplight. He had bright red eyes that seemed to gleam like jewels in the dark, and his smile which was unnaturally pulled upwards seemed stuck in place. He had a thick black aura permeating around his body, so Lumi¨¨re immediately recognised him to be the eater of rats who had frequently visited the monastery for food.

    Lumi¨¨re grimaced, setting the oil lamp down on a pew beside him, allowing it to continue to illuminate the monastery in a dull-orange glow.

    ''This man... fuck. I didn''t even think for a moment that he would pose such a threat. Are the Sister and Father okay? I''m sure they would''ve run away... no, I can''t assume that. They would have definitely stayed and helped... is he going to kill me too, now that I''ve arrived? Why? Why has he done this? Why didn¡¯t Thomas warn me of him specifically? Did he know that this man would be a threat?''

    He immediately abandoned his grief for the time being, focusing on his immediate survival as he let his gaze wander around the hall. He had left his sword in his room before departing for the Blackfeather Group¡¯s base of operations. It was no option for him. Countless thoughts raced through his mind, all measuring his survival based on his environment. However, the man in front of him didn''t seem ready to let him think of such a thing.

    Suddenly, the corpses around him seemed to catch on fire. First, embers began to wisp about on their bloodied, torn-apart flesh. Then, those embers turned a faint silver colour, before growing into thick silver flames that permeated on their clothes, setting the environment around them alight in bright colour. Although, unlike normal flames, they didn''t seek to spread, and simply started to char away the flesh of the corpses. Lumi¨¨re could then see clearly the form of the rat man in a long black cloak, and his unsettling unnatural smile that curved up against his cheeks.

    "You did this?" Lumi¨¨re asked of him, a glaring fury passing through his gaze.

    There was silence for a long time, but gradually, the man parted his lips and began to reply.

    "Sometimes... we eat them." He spoke with wild exasperation, his manic expression visible as he raised his upturned palms towards Lumi¨¨re as if he were proselytising. "If we don''t get sick from eating them, then it is a good day."

    "The rats?"

    The man shook his head slightly, his eyes filling with an intense madness that sent a chill down Lumi¨¨re''s spine.

    "The people."

    Lumi¨¨re immediately burst into action after hearing those words. Running towards the fireplace, he could feel the presence of the crazed man chasing towards him, although when he glanced back, what he saw was not a man. The shadows of the dark environment seemed to warp around him, growing into a dozen illusory arms whose hands propped him up in the air, pressing their palms against the walls and floors as he cascaded through the air towards Lumi¨¨re. Lumi¨¨re foolishly took a handful of ashes from the fireplace and threw them up. In an instant, the space around the crazed man was cloaked in a thick cloud of soot and ash. Lumi¨¨re shielded his eyes and began to move through the black cloud towards the other end of the room, before pulling out the only item he had in his pocket. It was the pocket watch that had been gifted to him by his closest friends. Ironically, it was what would allow him to buy time.

    ¡®Should I use my powers? No- that fear that I sensed within the man before¡­ it¡¯s completely dissipated. There¡¯s nothing for me to absorb and transmute!¡¯

    Lumi¨¨re reached into the cloak of silver flames of a nearby corpse and pulled out a red-hot poker that he had previously retrieved from the fireplace along with a handful of ash, burying it into the silver flames to heat it up. It now glowed a bright red colour and singed the flesh of Lumi¨¨re''s palm as he stepped forward towards the crazed man. Lumi¨¨re''s heart beat wildly as every instinct in his body screamed at him to flee, but he recalled the faces of those closest to him and took a glance at the charred corpses around him to stoke a wave of anger in his heart that superseded his fear. In an instant, a dangerous ember amidst the silver flames had sparked, and a new blaze was ignited in his despairing heart.

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    Out of the cloud of soot, Lumi¨¨re hurled the pocket watch onto the floor of the monastery. Crazily, the man and his dozen shadowy arms lept towards the sudden sound, crashing towards the floor with an ear-piercing howl that shook the foundation of the building. Alongside the thrown pocket watch, Lumi¨¨re rushed towards the man, allowing his suppressed fear to keep him moving forward. Lumi¨¨re had positioned himself opposite the hall''s exit. While there was a staircase to his left, it was nearly impossible to make it there without being caught by the crazed multi-armed man, and even if he was able to make it up to the second floor, there was still no readily available escape. So, by positioning himself in such a way, Lumi¨¨re had forced himself to have only one option of survival - the elimination of the mysterious and terrifying being that stood before him.

    Lumi¨¨re raised the red-hot poker as the crazed man was distracted and precisely thrust it forward, spearing it through the man''s eye. If he had not spent so much time within the fencer''s association, it was likely he would have missed. The crazed man reeled back in pain, clutching at his eye as a thin rush of black blood began dripping down his cheek, pooling on the floor below him. The shadowy tendril-like hands retracted back into him, and he fell to his knees as he cried out in his gravelly shrieking voice. Lumi¨¨re stepped without caution towards the man, as if in the face of his gradually-returning grief, he had abandoned his own survival. He could hear faint murmurs in the distance, although they were different from before. They seemed to be the cries of the charred corpses around him.

    "No... this isn''t nearly enough. I need you to feel just like they did. I need you to despair." Lumi¨¨re spoke with a harsh tone of voice.

    Lumi¨¨re''s lips fell slightly, revealing a frown that coupled with his ice-cold stare. Immediately, Lumi¨¨re''s vision began to darken like before. There were countless illusory murmurs in the distance that were just like the ones he had always heard, and horrid bloodshot eyes burgeoned from the dark clouds that pooled against the monastery''s ceiling. Although this time, it seemed slightly different. Instead of just losing consciousness, it seemed like he was also losing his lucidity instead. His control over his body began to seep away, and the shadows in the room began to shiver and twitch as small tendrils erupted.

    He saw a figure in the distance. It wasn¡¯t the intruder, and it wasn¡¯t Thomas swooping in to save him. It was him. It was a ¡®him¡¯ that smiled manically. His hair was a stark-black, and his eyes were as dark as the night.

    ¡®A persona? A different me¡­¡¯

    As Lumi¨¨re lost his will over his consciousness, ''he'' descended from the shadows, enveloping Lumi¨¨re in ''his'' features. What seemed like a thousand crows in the large hall seemed to recklessly bomb downwards from the shade, spilling their blood in splashes against the air before transforming into a thick viscous black liquid. That liquid rose up from the ground along with the remaining crows, and ''he'' was enveloped in a long fluttering black cloak. The figure that wrapped its features over Lumi¨¨re''s had short black hair with small strands falling past its ears, and glistening black eyes that held a fatigued sense of despair. In most aspects, he looked identical to Lumi¨¨re, apart from black eyeliner which sharpened his gaze, and a sickly pale-white tone on his cheeks.

    "Despair." The figure spoke aloud, his hoarse voice echoing through the monastery''s halls.

    The intruder who had killed the Dwindlers within the monastery suddenly felt the strength in his limbs melt away, the remaining stamina being used to tremble with intense fear. He was forced to stand back up, pulling his hands away from his bleeding eye as he looked up at the newly-emerged cloaked being.

    The figure who encapsulated ''Despair'' stepped forward. ''Despair'' raised his hand slightly, and the intruder''s chin lifted along with it.

    "Why?" Despair spoke aloud. "Why do all of this?"

    His gaze, which seemed sharpened by black eyeliner and pools of fatigue looked on towards the intruder with an intense sense of malice and bloodlust. With all of his strength, the intruder lifted his head and sneered.

    "You! You are a sinner!" The intruder smiled maniacally. "''He'' wishes for you to fear ¡®him¡¯. ¡®He¡¯ wishes for you to despair!"

    The figure''s lips curled up slightly.

    "''He'' wishes for me to ''Despair''?"

    The intruder''s eyes lost their crazed look, and immediately filled with a look of intense fear, knowing that he had said something wrong. They shimmered with that apprehension to speak further, and the intruder stumbled a few steps back. In unison, the black-cloaked figure stepped forward slowly.

    ''Despair'' pulled up the sleeve of his cloak, revealing the pale skin of his arm which seemed to burgeon with nearly-exposed veins. With each step he took, the veins began to circulate a pitch-black blood, making his arm seem covered in a marbled texture of midnight. Suddenly, the cloaked figure dashed towards the intruder, raising his arm high in the air with his fingers spread wide.

    "If I''m despairing, then there will be no time for you to. In a relationship of fear, one must act as predator, the other prey. Tell me, which one will you be?"

    His hand made contact with the intruder''s head, grabbing the entirety of the man''s skull with his fingers before slamming him into the back wall of the monastery. There was no sound, and only the gleam of the intruder''s terrified and slightly crazed eyes could be seen.

    With a single movement, the intruder was rendered into a thick red mist that permeated in the air. The remaining flesh and sinew that flew along with shards of bone were plastered against the monastery''s wall, dripping towards the floor in heaps of crimson-red muscle fibre and greyish brain tissue.

    Then, there was an eerie silence in the monastery, as if all presence of life had faded away. ''Despair'' let out a quiet sigh, and then closed his eyes as he allowed his mind to stir with the host''s thoughts once again. Slightly, Lumi¨¨re''s senses began to return.

    The black cloak immediately fell away from the figure''s body, returning to the natural shadows of the monastery''s hall. His black hair and pale white face gradually dissipated, and Lumi¨¨re''s features returned along with his lucidity. The darkness in his vision fell away, and the burgeoning eyes that glanced down at him from the shadowy clouds above blinked in unison, and sunk away into the ceiling. In an instant, the scene had returned to normal. Although, for Lumi¨¨re, he had no idea what had just transpired. He only realised the absence of the intruder and the addition of the massive red portraiture that had been splayed onto the monastery''s wall.

    Lumi¨¨re felt his heart tremble. He lurched forward, spewing the contents of his stomach, along with blood, onto the ground. His entire body ached as if his bones had been carved away by hot steel, and his skin felt cold and stiff. He didn¡¯t take even a second to consider his pain, however.

    Lumi¨¨re grabbed the poker which had lost its red-hot sheen, and cautiously stepped around the monastery''s hall as he checked to see if the intruder was still present. Although taking a look at the bits of clothing around the stain on the wall, he was able to securely assume that the remains belonged to the rat man. Beside his remains, there was a strange rectangular object that seemed to hold a silver sheen around its edges, so he cautiously reached out his hand and picked it up.

    When he turned it over, he realised it was of no significance. It was a card pulled from a standard deck of fifty-two cards- the one of spades. There was a shadowy figure on its surface, cradling the black spade gently within its arms. It gave off a terrifying chill, although there didn''t seem to be anything else about it. After sating his curiosity, he tossed it back to the ground, and let out a quiet sigh.

    The silver flames had burnt away as soon as the intruder had died, so Lumi¨¨re used the oil lamp he had lit up earlier to locate the other lamps and set them alight. Even as the bright orange glow began to illuminate the monastery¡¯s hall, the light shaking of his body and his tense nerves didn¡¯t dissipate. His heart seemed to beat a thousand times a minute, and his mind was racing with a thousand thoughts that were unintelligible amidst the noise in his head.

    However, one incredibly loud thought rang through his mind.

    ''Father Benedict and Sister Alinde... I haven''t seen their bodies. Does this mean that they were able to get away?''

    However, the quiet tension in the air was quickly cut away by more despair.

    "Lumi..." A voice called out hoarsely from a room beside him.

 Chapter 18: The pain of saying I love you

    Down the hall to the left of the cathedral''s main room, a voice had called out his name. He immediately carried the lamp and ran down the hall, swinging the bloodstained door of the left room open. As he shone the light of the oil lamp into the room, his eyes widened in horror.

    In the room, the corpses of children had been plastered to the walls and floor. Standing out to Lumi¨¨re were the two heads of familiar twins, set alongside that of a dog¡¯s. It made Lumi¨¨re¡¯s stomach churn. Some had rib cages visible, and others had their heads torn from their bodies. The tables and chairs that once neatly decorated the room were torn apart, their legs and splinters having pierced the now-cold corpses that spilt their blood across the floor. Lumi¨¨re¡¯s mind raced and his stomach churned; he immediately felt nauseous, but before he could spew the contents of his meals out onto the floor, a hoarse, quiet voice shocked him back into lucidity.

    ¡°Lumi¡­¡±

    In the centre of the ash-strewn carnage, there was a woman in black church attire and a head of messied and bloodied blonde hair that fell towards her shoulders. Her cheeks were covered in thick red blood, and that was because it looked as if her eyes had been gouged out of her skull. Her hand which she raised weakly towards the nearby sound of footsteps was missing three fingers, and her right leg had been cleaved from her body. However, all of her wounds were charred black, and the blood had coagulated- as if they had been simultaneously cauterised by the silver flames.

    ¡°Elise?¡± Lumi¨¨re spoke aloud, the strength in his eyes shimmering as if it had begun to dissipate. He immediately fell to his knees at her side, propping her head up with his hand as he looked down at her.

    His lip quivered, and he could tell that his subsequent words would be fraught with shakiness, so he desperately instilled all that was left of his calm demeanour as he tried to soothe her.

    ¡°It¡¯s all right now, Elise. That person¡­ he¡¯s dead.¡± He spoke softly as he brushed a strand of her hair which had grown stiff with blood out of her face. He had tried to make his voice sound as still as possible in an attempt to calm her worries, but if she could have seen his grimacing and horrified face, it would have had no meaningful effect.

    "Are the children alright, Lumi? Carlisle, Caladan- what about the others?"

    Lumi¨¨re shook his head visibly, but after realising its insignificance to Sister Alinde, he spoke aloud.

    "No."

    She let out a pained sigh before speaking.

    ¡°I could hear their screams, even though I couldn¡¯t see them¡­ when everything grew quiet, I had some remaining hope that maybe I had grown deaf too- and that the children¡¯s silence was really filled with their laughter that I could not hear.¡±

    Her voice was hoarse and shaky, clear that every word she spoke grew weaker alongside her.

    ¡°Is the main hall safe now, Lumi?¡±

    ¡°It is. Although, the scent of death lingers.¡±

    Sister Alinde smiled painfully, before extending her hand which had lost many fingers to touch gently upon Lumi¨¨re¡¯s face. He almost couldn¡¯t contain the anxieties and horrors inside himself as he felt the familiar softness of her hand.

    "Can you... take me to the statue of the Goddess?" Sister Alinde smiled painfully.

    ¡°I can do whatever you wish.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a wish-granter now, are you?¡± She teased. Her chiding words were immediately interrupted by a coughing fit, and so Lumi¨¨re didn¡¯t wait for further replies.

    Picking her frail form up, Lumi¨¨re''s lip quivered. He stepped up, holding her gently in his arms, and began to move forward. As Lumi¨¨re carefully carried her through the hall, her coughing fit ceased, and so Sister Alinde spoke aloud.

    "You feel warm... like the sun. Isn''t that wonderful?"

    Lumi¨¨re couldn''t hold himself back anymore.

    ¡°Is this the world that you love? Is this okay?¡± Lumi¨¨re said with a shuddering breath.

    ¡°Say that it is¡­ and it will be¡­¡± She murmured.

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    Her breathing had grown ever shallower, and her body felt slightly cold to the touch.

    "The world really is beautiful, Lumi¨¨re... I hope you''ll grow to treasure all the things that I love..." She whispered in a hoarse voice.

    "How can I? How can I accept this?"

    "Because I asked you too. Please change the world, and admire it in the meantime..." Sister Alinde smiled softly. ¡°Even when bad things like this happen, don¡¯t let the world turn you so cruel and callous.¡±

    Having reached the main hall, Lumi¨¨re walked over to the altar at the head of the room, and stared up at the face of the goddess, his face twisted with some sort of adverse hatred. Even if Sister Alinde had said so, he couldn¡¯t help but let the world¡¯s unfairness twist his heart. He sat down underneath the statue and held the weakened woman in his arms, holding her head up with his palm as he looked down at her with sorrow.

    Under the statue of the Goddess''s watch, where she was surely watching down on her, Sister Alinde smiled softly.

    "Lumi¨¨re..." Sister Alinde spoke hoarsely. "I love you."

    His heart sank immediately.

    "I love you too," Lumi¨¨re replied through his tears.

    "No... I''m in love with you."

    "I know what you mean, so you don''t have to repeat it twice, you stupid girl..."

    Lumi¨¨re could barely speak without his voice choking up.

    "No... I changed my mind... say it again."

    The air in the monastery was still and quiet, apart from Lumi¨¨re''s sobs. There was no response. His heart sunk to its greatest depths, and a dull pain began to sting every nerve throughout his body. Tears streamed down his face, and his once-calm breaths shuddered.

    "Say it again!" Lumi¨¨re cried out. "Please... please say it again..."

    He clutched at her tattered clothes, pulling her closer, although the warmth in her body had already faded away, and so she felt like no more than another corpse. Her bloodied face had shut its eyes, and a soft smile remained on her face, even in her death. So, he just sat in the eerie silence of the monastery¡¯s hall and blankly stared at her expression while his tears flowed and gradually dried up against his face.

    In the quiet atmosphere of the monastery, Lumi¨¨re could feel his eyes growing heavy. An eerie calm had pooled in his heart, and his anxieties had vanished. However, illusory murmurs began resounding throughout the room once more, clearer than they ever had been, shocking him back into lucidity as he glanced upwards.

    ¡°{Heretic!}¡±

    ¡°{Heretic!}¡±

    ¡°{Heretic!}¡±

    ¡°{Accept this curse, Servant- of Lord Sinner! Your blessing of God is not- your only legacy! Your fate requires- you to become the world¡¯s worst Sinner! Become- its enemy! Become- a Heretic! Your predecessors have long- prepared the path for you! Tear- fate away from- the world! Become ¡®his¡¯ Beacon!}¡±

    Thick black shadows arose from around him, pooling against the ceiling as burgeoning eyes glanced down upon him. Rather, they seemed to be staring at the bright silvery glow that had blanketed the room in an eerie calm beside him. Lumi¨¨re¡¯s gaze looked downwards and saw that the unimportant card, the one of spades left behind by the rat man, had begun to glow alike to the silver flames that had erupted during their fight. He reached out cautiously and picked it up, flipping it over to reveal its image. The image of the man cradling the black spade now looked upwards towards him, with horrified eyes that had begun to bleed thick black blood down his cheeks. At the same time, Lumi¨¨re¡¯s face felt warm and wet. He reached out to touch his cheeks and retracted his fingers, realised that his flowing tears had turned a pitch-black colour.

    A piercing pain burst through his head, and before he could even try and discern the matter, Lumi¨¨re fell unconscious, his head resting against the altar underneath the watch of the Goddess of Thorns, cradling the cold corpse of his ¡®sun¡¯ in his arms. The spade card fell to the ground, and its silvery glow began to dissipate. Its shadow trembled underneath the faint lamplight and grew small black tendrils which reached slowly over towards Lumi¨¨re. As they made contact with his own shadow, they seemed to fuse with it before disappearing entirely.

    His body began to emanate a dark and cold black aura, just like the rat man.

    ¡ª-

    Four figures, all cloaked in black, rushed through the ajar door of the monastery, only to reel back in horror and nauseous disgust as they witnessed the sights of the carnage. Father Benedict, an unknown middle-aged man, Constantine Adler, and Eamon Stroud immediately looked towards each other with glances of agreement. Constantine reached into his jacket and produced a silvery revolver, and Eamon Stroud did the same. Father Benedict and the middle-aged man followed behind them, having steeled his heart and his gaze as they re-entered the monastery. Inside, illuminated by faint lamplight, he saw the familiar sight of his childhood friend, the career liar and illusionist, Lumi¨¨re. He had thick black blood dried up against his cheeks, and he gently held in his arms the Sister, Elise Alinde, who had lost many of her extremities, as well as her eyes.

    Father Benedict immediately rushed over towards them, abandoning his caution as he felt for their pulses. Lumi¨¨re had a faint and healthy breath, but Elise had long grown cold. Father Benedict¡¯s lip quivered, but he retracted his hand and stood back up without even a sigh escaping his mouth.

    ¡°One survivor in this room. Lumi¨¨re Croft has survived the attack.¡± Father Benedict spoke with strange professionalism back towards the two figures of the organised criminal group and the mysterious man.

    ¡°Take the survivor to the Cathedral.¡± The middle-aged man said sternly.

    Constantine let out a sigh of relief that he didn¡¯t show outwardly and began to glance around at the bloodied corpses which had been charred pitch-black by flames. Father Benedict did the same, and his mind began racing immediately, not giving him a moment of reprieve to grieve.

    ¡®I have to report this¡­ something as strange as this¡­ the bishop will want to know of this.¡¯

    Constantine had different thoughts from the Father, however. At the same time, Eamon began to think the same.

    ¡®Has ¡®that¡¯ organisation begun to move?¡¯

 Chapter 19: The Sun in a cruel world

    === Overlooking the attack on Cobblers Street ===

    ¡°{I¡¯ve delivered the card unto him- as our Lord once requested. What- did you anticipate coming- from letting this happen?}¡±

    ¡°Growth, dear emissary.¡± Thomas had a serious, stern expression. ¡°To prevent the failures of his predecessors, Lumi¨¨re needs conviction. To become a Beacon of Lord Sinner, and utilise the Sinner¡¯s pathway, he needs to grasp onto his own motives.¡±

    ¡°{Still, don¡¯t you- think it was too much?}¡±

    ¡°Time will tell, dear emissary. This is all we can do. Even if we were to help him out, what would he have done when ¡®that¡¯ organisation attacked once more? They sent a lowly amalgamation of those Cursed Domains of magic to destroy the monastery, but what if their goals had failed? They would have sent someone even stronger, and perhaps our little magician would have been killed in the process.¡±

    ¡°{So, they were- a necessary sacrifice?}¡±

    ¡°Our goals supercede the lives of wretches and nuns. Maybe epochs ago, we would have tried to save them. But after so many failures, we have to look at Lumi¨¨re Croft¡¯s life as paramount importance. If he can become the Beacon, then all the deaths that occur in his wake cease to matter.¡±

    ¡°{Paltry.}¡±

    Thomas smirked, looking over towards the eye. ¡°Do the deaths of mortals truly upset you, emissary? Someone as highly-revered as you? Your true form- it¡¯s larger than this world. How can you afford empathy for something so insignificant in scale?¡±

    ¡°{The human heart- it¡¯s terrifying. Understanding it- may help.¡±}

    ¡°Hah, perhaps.¡± Thomas scoffed. ¡°I¡¯ve abandoned mine many epochs ago. Being human, who can afford to remember that?¡±

    Looking over the massacre from above, Thomas sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s go prepare for our little magician¡¯s arrival in the Sinner¡¯s Labyrinth.¡±

    ¡°{Has he- been given- the invitation?}¡±

    ¡°I made sure of it.¡±

    ¡ª¡ª

    === Several days later ===

    He had a still and blank expression as he stared out the window at the emerging spring morning. The bouts of crystal rainfall had finished their morning performance, and bright rays of warm red sunshine began seeping into his hospital room. Suddenly, there was a knock on his door, and his gaze quickly swept over the figure that emerged from the hall.

    She had an emerald-coloured skirt that swept up against her black boots and wore an ornate white cowl over a black shirt. She had a sun-bitten complexion and bright blue eyes like sapphires. Her midnight-black hair had been tied up neatly in a bun, and with a light blush on her cheeks, she had a mature and wealthy atmosphere that seemed to follow her around. It was Artis Faulkner, the daughter of the Faulkner Nobility family, who often spent time at the Fencer¡¯s Association Building. After nodding to her attendant, who had a massive body, she had him wait outside and close the door behind her.

    ¡°Hello, Mr. Croft,¡± Artis spoke with a soft, pitying smile.

    Lumi¨¨re looked at her blankly, parting his lips as if to speak, but subsequently closed them without saying a word. Seeing this, Artis couldn¡¯t help but feel some empathetic pain in her heart, so she walked over and sat in the chair beside his bed, staring at him with a soft gaze before speaking once more.

    ¡°Was it hard?¡±

    He looked over towards Artis with a shocked expression, and his blank eyes began to shiver with an inconsolable sadness.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re felt as if, at least slightly, that ''smiling'' mask he wore on his face had cracked. Pieces of it began to fall on the ground before shattering, unable to be fit back onto his expression. Without hesitating, the maskless man leaned forward and fell against Artis''s chest. It didn''t matter to him in that moment who she was, or what had been said between them in the past. Artis ruffled his hair with her hand and pulled him in close with a soft, gentle smile.

    "What did you mean when you said ''it wouldn''t matter for long'', in the sense of me loving her...?" He asked of her.

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    She continued to play with his hair for a moment, rubbing her hand along the back of his head as she gathered her thoughts.

    "You''re a magnet for tragedy.¡±

    This confused Lumi¨¨re in such a way that he couldn''t quite think of a response.

    "What do you know of it?"

    "I know all of you." She spoke assuredly. "After all, all I can do is remember... but that doesn''t really matter right now. Just forget it all, and feel alright in my arms. Right now, thinking endlessly about things won''t do you any good. You''re sad, so just let yourself be sad."

    He ignored the meaning behind her words. To him, it did not truly matter. It was similar to what the boy Etta had said, and it was strange. But it did not matter. Lumi¨¨re had no mind to think of strange occurrences.

    For a time, Lumi¨¨re cried in her arms. Nearly a week had passed in the hospital, and the minor burns and lacerations Lumi¨¨re had suffered had already healed. Supposedly, Constantine had carried him to the Church''s hospital and left him with Father Benedict before adjourning quickly, as the church had no mind to treat him with lenience as a criminal. Now, Lumi¨¨re had the mind to release himself as a ward of the church''s hospital, so Artis helped him walk out of the front door and into the light rainfall that pattered against the stone roads of Leiden¡¯s middle borough, her attendant following close behind her.

    "I want to visit them. I need to go back to the monastery now." Lumi¨¨re spoke hoarsely.

    "I hope you don''t mean that you''ll walk that far in your condition," Artis responded frankly, holding Lumi¨¨re''s arm around her shoulder as they took another step. "I''ll call for a carriage, so just wait here a moment."

    Lumi¨¨re watched as Artis stepped into the street, calling for a passing carriage in the meanwhile. Her attendant stood beside Lumi¨¨re, who had sat down against the wall of the building as he let out a sigh.

    Later, a carriage pulled up beside them, and Artis helped Lumi¨¨re up into its interior.

    He had some sort of latent hope that when he returned to the monastery, there would still be dozens of Dwindlers gathered on the hillside trying to shelter themselves from the rain and talking jovially with one another. He had a hope that when he entered the monastery it would be lit bright with oil lamps and had many worshippers of the Goddess of Thorns praying piously under the watch of her statue. He hoped he could see the two children cleaning, Carlisle performing magic, and Caladan running around with his dog. He had hoped he could walk into the dining hall and a warm meal would have been prepared. After eating he would have been able to go up the flight of stairs off to the side and walk down the hall before entering Sister Alinde''s room. She would have been sitting on her bed staring out the window, or sitting in a chair painting another fantastical piece out of the paints and dyes she would painstakingly gather.

    But there was none of that. When Lumi¨¨re stepped out of the carriage and bid farewell and thanks to Artis Faulkner, he was only greeted by an eerie silence. He was sure the Father was inside the monastery, attending to business, but on the outside, there was not a single person in sight. When they had heard the screams of the women and children, Lumi¨¨re was sure that all of the male Dwindlers sleeping outside would have rushed to their aid, only to face the otherworldly force of the intruder, and so there was no one left at all to gather around the firepits and laugh. There was no one there at all.

    Lumi¨¨re walked to the edge of the hilltop towards the monastery''s garden. It was filled with various herbs and flowers used for medicinal purposes and rituals held for the Goddess. The trees surrounding it in the spring would sprout various fruits, and so those bright satchels of flavour littered the leafy canopies above. It was fitting in Lumi¨¨re''s eyes, that the one who rested underneath them would have enjoyed such a thing- not for the flavour of the fruit, but for the colour that could have been wrought from their juices.

    Underneath the civil twilight, the golden beams shone onto the emerald hilltops. The golden rays of sunshine shot through the canopy and the bushels of herbs, bathing the garden in a soft orange glow. Against a grey headstone in the centre of the garden, bright sunflowers had been brought in from the Cathedral of Thorns in the Middle borough. On the headstone, the name ''Elise Alinde'' had been scrawled, and etched carefully was an epitaph - ''Step softly, and seek not to cast her rest in shade, for she loved the sun.''.

    Lumi¨¨re reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a silverish object that gleamed brightly under the setting red sun. It was the pocket watch that had been gifted to him by Elise''s hands. The glass was cracked, and the interior had filled with soot, but it was still as beautiful as when he had first received it. Slowly, he knelt on the ground, wincing as his body still ached, and set it down beside the headstone.

    He felt something fall out of his pocket as he grabbed the pocket watch, and he reached down to pick it up. It was rectangular and had a dim silvery gleam around its edges. As he turned it over, countless thoughts raced through his mind, and his heart sank. It was the one of spades that he had previously picked up after his fight against the intruder.

    ''This useless thing? Rather... isn''t this the last thing I can seem to remember from that night?''

    Lumi¨¨re quickly brushed it from his mind and threw the card into the grass before turning back to the headstone. It wasn''t a time for him to think about such things. He let out a quiet sigh and stared longingly at the name engraved onto the stone. After so much crying, he didn''t know if he could bear to do it anymore, so he just knelt in silence as if spending time with her.

    ''The tragic tales never emphasise how traumatic saying goodbye is.''

    So, Lumi¨¨re didn''t say goodbye.

    "I''ll be back, Elise." Lumi¨¨re smiled softly before standing up.

    His blank expression which had been filled with a distraught sense was now full of vigor and life, as if just being beside her was enough to have kept him going. As Lumi¨¨re turned away, his coat fluttering in the evening, one thought had been seared into the forefront of his mind.

    ''I can¡¯t let myself be distraught over this. She would surely yell at me for that. I have to change the world, but I cannot let it change me.''

 Chapter 20: Merchant from the wall

    Lumi¨¨re awoke in a daze, his face plastered with sweat and fatigue. His eyes had dark shades of restlessness surrounding them, and his body was tense and shaky as he panted heavily. He took wide and hesitant glances around his room before letting out a relaxed sigh. It had been eight days since the attack, and every time Lumi¨¨re managed to lull himself into a light sleep after the fact, he had only been able to dream of the horrific sights he had forced himself to ignore while fighting the intruder cloaked in a nauseating black aura. He dreamt of the sights of the dismembered children, of the sea of blood that pooled on the monastery¡¯s floor, and of the one he loved unable to meet his gaze. The corpses would cry out before being doused in bright silver flames, and Lumi¨¨re was powerless to stop any of it.

    In each instance of this dream, he would take a look at the cracked reflection of the stained-glass window of the monastery and see that the image he had of himself had warped. His hair and irises would be pitch-black, and there would be a thick black aura permeating around his body like small writhing tendrils. This scene would terrify him even more than the scenes of corpses that he had desensitised himself to, and so it was always the point of the dream that would shock him awake.

    After recovering from the nightmare to an extent, Lumi¨¨re stepped sleepily out into the hall, trying to wipe the fatigue away from his eyes in the meanwhile. He made his way into the bathroom and refrained from taking a look in the mirror at his reflection out of residual fear. He turned the handle on the faucet and washed his face with a handful of cold water. While electricity had not made its way to a large portion of the lower borough, indoor plumbing had been an innovation of a century prior, and so there had been more than enough time for it to make its way to the ancient stone monastery on Cobbler¡¯s street. The sewers were poorly managed, and there were surely many contaminants in the water, but it was a fine enough amenity for many. After he had finished cleaning himself up, Lumi¨¨re stepped out into the main hall of the monastery. It had been cleaned of all debris and bloodstains, and the corpses had been wrapped and buried according to the tradition of the Crown of Thorns. So, without a single remaining Dwindler on the hilltops of Cobbler¡¯s Street, no one but the Father was sitting in the main prayer hall.

    Lumi¨¨re approached Father Benedict quietly and sat beside him. He was bent down in a pew in solemn prayer with his eyes shut as he muttered his reverences to the Goddess of Thorns.

    ¡°In reverence to the Crown of Thorns, the Goddess, Lady of Ivy, whose bountiful hearth we warm ourselves with, your love doth shine. To the symbol of grace and divinity, fine embrace of nature, we seek your light. Your trials and tribulations show your kind mercy, should we be worthy of your kindness. Beneath your crown, we find our strength. In your presence, we find peace. Oh Lady of Ivy, the Crown of Thorns beneath the blood-red sun, our Goddess we belove; in you, we are just.¡± Father Benedict muttered silently, unaware of Lumi¨¨re¡¯s presence.

    When he had finished, he opened his eyes and was pleasantly surprised to see Lumi¨¨re beside him. Lumi¨¨re, to the Father¡¯s surprise, had for once adopted the same posture- bent over with his hands clasped and his eyes shut as he muttered his reverences quietly. After Lumi¨¨re had finished, he too had opened his eyes and looked towards the Father.

    ¡°You¡¯ve suddenly become a devout believer, haven¡¯t you?¡± Father Benedict asked with slight humour hanging on his words.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like your Goddess, nor do I agree with the world she¡¯s chosen to make. You¡¯ve said that all-encompassing events are her will, and so I hate her even more for it all. But you¡¯ve also said that all believers, upon their deaths, will rest in her garden. So, maybe if I pray piously enough, I¡¯ll be able to see Elise again.¡±

    Father Benedict¡¯s humoured smile quickly fell, and he looked back over towards the statue of the Goddess that had once been stained with a thick splash of blood.

    ¡°Do you think that¡¯s ¡®pious¡¯?¡± Father Benedict asked of him solemnly.

    ¡°Should I throw myself into robes and condemn all mortal pleasures too?¡±

    ¡°Not at all. Even the most saintly men give in to pleasure. I don¡¯t think your reasons for praying to the Goddess are wrong, either. I believe you have a right to hate the Goddess for what she¡¯s done, but I think you¡¯re judging her in the wrong way.¡±

    ¡°How so?¡±

    ¡°Can you really judge such a benevolent deity by human standards? Morality- what is morality when applied to a being that stands above all? Can they think about the feelings of every little speck in the wide realm we live in? To empathise is to be human- but are the ancient deities human? Do we not worship them because that¡¯s exactly what they aren¡¯t? Isn¡¯t the fact that we can experience anything at all a blessing? This pain- I would rather feel this heartbreak than not exist at all. Can you even comprehend nonexistence, Lumi¨¨re?¡±

    Lumi¨¨re sat in silence, dumbstruck as he thought about the proposition.

    ¡°No, I can¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve told you of this many times- me and Elise both. It¡¯s not that we don¡¯t despise the bitter parts of the world like you do, but that we also flip over the double-sided coin that is reality. The Goddess surely gives us many trials- tasks and ordinances that we must deal with and overcome. But above all of that, we ignorable, insignificant beings are allowed to witness and partake in reality. There¡¯s beauty in all things, and we¡¯re allowed to witness that. We don¡¯t revere the Goddess because she allows bad things to happen, but because she¡¯s given us the chance to see the good in them.¡±

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    ¡°So what good is there¡­ in Elise dying? What good was there in Carlisle and Caladan dying?¡±

    ¡°The sun still rises. Time still goes on, and you¡¯re still alive. You¡¯ll be able to eat another potato slathered in harsh butter and salt, and you¡¯ll be able to twist your performances into something you enjoy. You¡¯ll be able to hear the birds sing in the morning, and the streets will fill with all sorts of wonderful people who tell wonderful stories. And at the end of it all, when your life has been fulfilled, you¡¯ll be able to see Elise again in the Goddess¡¯s garden. You¡¯ll live life with all of its pain, sorrows, anguishes, and blessings. Then, eternity will be your gift. That is the good in it all, Lumi¨¨re. The good in Elise dying, the good in the twins dying¡­ is that somewhere in that bright band of starlight in the night sky, they¡¯re waiting patiently while watching you lovingly.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re¡¯s face turned a faint shade of red as he heard Father Benedict¡¯s words, and at the same time, his eyes started to produce a thin film of tears. So, he stood up and quickly excused himself.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to clear my head. I¡¯ll be back.¡± Lumi¨¨re bowed his head slightly.

    Father Benedict smiled.

    ¡°And I¡¯ll be waiting.¡±

    After grabbing his coat and wiping the tears out of his eyes, Lumi¨¨re let out a sigh and stepped out into the cold spring air. Although, contrary to his expectation of a blank hillside, there was a man in a grey three-piece suit waiting for him. He had short black hair and blue eyes that seemed to pierce through Lumi¨¨re like daggers. He had a clean-shaven face and a soft jawline against pale cheeks. His nose was a gentle red against the cold air, and his freckles betrayed his feminine beauty.

    ¡°Good morning, Alain."

    Speaking to the man, he had every motive to perform as if he weren¡¯t grieving. Acting normally made it feel so.

    ¡°Would you like me to tell you why I¡¯m here?¡± The black-haired man smiled mischievously.

    ¡°No, I¡¯ll guess it, as usual.¡±

    "Go ahead, then."

    Lumi¨¨re walked right past the man, failing to give him a handshake or any sort of formal greeting. They weren''t compatriots in the slightest- they were good friends. Alain Monroe was a lowly merchant who resided in his small estate in the mercantile district of the middle borough.

    "You want to introduce me to some woman?"

    Alain shook his head in response.

    "You want to go drinking?"

    "Why would I want to go drinking this early in the day?" Alain chided humourously.

    "Is it a matter of the heart? Will I help you win over a maiden this time?"

    "I''ve no problem doing that myself."

    "Then, it¡¯s some business matter?"

    Alain shook his head in confirmation.

    "Is it Alisander again?"

    "I''m to duel him shortly. It''s short notice, I know, but I wish for you to be my second."

    "Eh?" Lumi¨¨re exclaimed in a surprised fashion. "You? Duel?"

    "Don''t act so surprised," Alain said in an annoyed tone of voice.

    After making a few stops on mercurial street, Lumi¨¨re and Alain arrived in front of Alisander''s residence. It was a townhouse separate from the rows of houses beside it. It had a small garden filled with flowering shrubs and blossoming archways. There was an iron-wrought front gate taller than Lumi¨¨re, and past it beside a stone pathway leading to the front terrace, several well-dressed servants were waiting to greet the two.

    "What did Mr. Alisander even do to make you so furious?" Lumi¨¨re asked him.

    "He looked at my wife wrong in passing." Alain shrugged simply.

    "You''re going to kill a man simply because he looked at your wife in such a way? Isn''t that a bit too crazy?"

    "Do you think I got to where I am by being sane, Lumi¨¨re?"

    Alain''s soft smile didn''t betray his true demeanour. On the surface, he looked like any normal man. However, Lumi¨¨re knew below that his madness rested in his unending perseverance. If he were to have all four of his limbs torn from his body, he would surely use his tongue to pull the trigger of his firearm.

    "Did you not act through a second? Why are you choosing me only now?"

    "I did have another second. Alisander had him killed." Alain spoke humorously.

    "He had him killed for seeking a resolution?"

    "No. I didn''t send my second to reconcile. I sent him to tell Alisander to kill himself so I didn''t have to waste my time coming over here."

    "That''s quite..." He recoiled after hearing such a thing.

    "Fear not, my friend. I will compensate you well for attending this momentary bout. You''ve nothing to fear- unless his second too somehow takes offence to his death. In that case, that''s the reason you''ve brought that fancy little blade along, isn''t it?"

    Lumi¨¨re''s face twisted slightly. Lumi¨¨re had retrieved his weapon from inside the monastery if things were to take a dangerous turn. Although, it was common for those who could afford it to carry a blade around. Those who could afford or earn a license to carry a firearm were restricted to using a magazine that was capable of arming a single bullet. At the turn of the age of technological advancement came innovation in the arms industry- and fearing the use of strong emerging weapons being turned against the Forger Empire''s governmental body, the Consuls, which served under the Emperor, passed a law towards the Senate. Based on the use of a single bullet, the law was passed by the Senate to the voting floor, the Centurian Assembly, who then passed the law. Many politicians echoed the same sentiment - ¡®If a fool cannot solve his matters with one bullet, then he does not deserve another¡¯.

    For that reason, swords were commonly carried beside a firearm. If in a duel, Alain were to miss his shot, he was sure to draw his blade and engage Mr. Alisander with it. His hand hovered over his blade as he walked. Like most who had served in the previous war, the Eighth Incursion, he was allowed to keep his blade. Although, Alain Monroe was a bit more cunning of an individual, so he didn¡¯t return from the war with only a sword as a reward. Throughout his time on and off the field of battle, he meticulously worked hard to network his abilities and was able to establish connections with many individuals. When he returned to Leiden, he collected his wife and immediately left for the Forger Empire¡¯s capital, Lindgram. Using those connections he had made during the war, he was able to become a well-established merchant.

    However, after his continued spouts with another merchant- Mr. Alisander, they were both denounced by the Trade Commission of Lindgram, responsible for organising trade legislation, and were forced to move back to Leiden and restrict their business practices. After all the trouble that had been caused by the two of them, the duel that would happen shortly was to be their last bout- their last competitive venture.

    "Alright. I''ll be your second, then."

 Chapter 21: Creatures within the shade

    "You say that now, but the fact that you¡¯re carrying your blade was already confirmation that you would do so for me."

    "How can you say that much?" Lumi¨¨re chided in a humourous tone. "Perhaps I just wanted to watch your death knowing I¡¯d be safe from harm."

    "How cruel. Can you really consider yourself my friend if you can say such a thing?" Alain joked in turn.

    After walking through the front iron gate, the door to Alisander''s residence swung open. Out walked a man in a fanciful white suit. He had oily slicked-back black hair and a long twisted moustache with a short goatee. He wore a black bowtie and carried with him a long ornate black cane. It was Callis Alisander, the merchant that Alain Monroe had competed with so frequently.

    ''He''s sure confident that no blood will be spilt on his side... wearing white during a duel... how scary.'' Lumi¨¨re lamented inwardly.

    The two greeted each other, and the tension in the air became immediately obvious. Behind Alisander, a short man with grey hair and a stubble beard walked with him, carrying a plain leather briefcase between his two short arms. It was Alisander''s second, the man who would watch over the duel.

    ¡°His estate is quite large, isn¡¯t it?¡± Lumi¨¨re marvelled quietly beside Alain.

    ¡°He¡¯s had much more time and opportunity to grow. He¡¯s been sponsored by a Lord longer than I.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve been sponsored by a Lord?¡±

    Alain nodded slightly.

    ¡°The Lord of the Entertainment District has given me a bit of land outside Leiden¡¯s west wall, Ried. I¡¯ll be growing raingrass there.¡±

    ¡°Eh? A swamp plant?¡± Lumi¨¨re spoke in a confused tone. ¡°Do you mean that you¡¯ll turn a field into a swamp for the sake of growing ingredients for alcohol?¡±

    ¡°Precisely.¡±

    In Leiden, the most popular alcohol was made from a plant that could freely grow in flooded climates- raingrass. However, because of the hilly terrain surrounding Leiden, it was hard for swamps to form, and so the terrain had to be levelled a bit to spread the flood. It was harsh work, and so raingrass was often brought in from other areas by merchants instead.

    ¡°But if Alisander is also sponsored, won¡¯t it anger Alisander¡¯s sponsor to see him dead?¡± Lumi¨¨re asked of Alain.

    ¡°I trust in Ried¡¯s Lord. He is no trustworthy man, but he is greedy.¡±

    Alain looked towards Lumi¨¨re but could see that confusion still sat prevalent on his expression.

    ¡°One thing you can trust more than actual trust is the understanding that men will always seek to protect their fortune. As long as I am important, I will have the protection of the Lord.¡± Alain winked. ¡°So I fear not the backlash of this duel. Of course, even if I am dead, I will not have to worry about it. It is truly a win-win.¡±

    When the two had finished convening, Alisander and Alain walked out of the gate of Alisander''s estate and made their way down the street. There was a grove nearby where the duel would take place, away from the view of the street, and away from the watch of the patrols of the Peace Keepers. The two seconds followed behind the two merchants, weaving through the brush and branches of the trees before coming to the centre of the grove. Small rays of sunshine burst through the canopy above them, and there was a short clearing that would allow for the duel to take place safely.

    "Well, there''s no reason to delay any further, is there?" Alisander spoke in a chiding fashion towards Alain. "Unless you want some time to pray to your Goddess? Perhaps you wish to steel your bowels so you don''t soil your pants mid-bout?"

    "The only pants that need changing are your wife''s after I''m done with her." Alain winked towards the well-dressed gentleman before him.

    Alisander scowled heavily, before reaching his hand toward his weapon.

    "Is the presider here?" Alisander asked Alain.

    Alain quickly glanced around.

    "Mr. Adler was supposed to be here, but it looks like he was too busy to show up."

    "I''m here." A deep, sultry voice spoke aloud.

    Beside the two, a tall man seemed to appear from the shade. It was Lumi¨¨re''s long-time friend, and the leader of the Blackfeather group, Constantine Adler. He wore a patterned black suit with a red tie. His skin was like burnt amber, and his eyes glowed a bright vermillion.

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    ''Eh? Constantine is here too? What a strange event.'' Lumi¨¨re sighed inwardly. "I guess he is a pretty trustworthy individual for lowlife merchants like these two..."

    His gaze steeled as he looked at the two men standing face to face.

    ''But I''m sure he won''t lose this. Either Alisander will die, or they''ll come to some amicable conclusion... no, there''s actually no possibility of that. Alisander will die today.''

    "Has there been no reconciliation?" Constantine asked the two, eyeing them separately. Alain and Alisander both shook their heads as if to say there was no need.

    "And you''ve both settled any matters in the event of your demise?" Constantine asked once more.

    "I''ve told my servant to put the kettle on," Alain spoke with a shit-eating grin.

    Alisander visibly scowled, but he didn''t bite back in response.

    "Then, both of you take twenty paces and pray to the deity you believe in." Constantine sighed aloud. Lumi¨¨re knew that despite him being a criminal leader, he didn''t like seeing such things take place. He also knew that Constantine had many stresses on himself already, so he didn''t need another in the form of being a presider of a duel. However, denying so would tarnish his image as a trustable and dependable figure, and so he had arrived on time as promised.

    After walking twenty paces, the two stood facing opposite directions as they both let out heavy breaths. Alain fidgeted with his shirt collar as he loosened a button, and Alisander pulled out his pocket watch to check the time. Constantine stared at Lumi¨¨re from across the grove, and with a soft smile, he yelled aloud.

    "Draw!"

    Immediately, Alain spun around, and reaching towards the holster on his waist, drew a single-bullet chambered revolver before pointing it at his opponent, aiming it down, and then pulling the trigger in under a second. The bullet flew through the air at high speeds. At the same time, Alisander had drawn his weapon and aimed it, pulling the trigger in unison. In an instant, the two bullets passed by each other. Alain''s bullet sliced past Alisander''s abdomen, staining his white shirt with bright crimson blood as it grazed past. Alisander''s bullet grazed Alain''s cheek, sending a small trickle of blood falling towards Alain''s jaw as he smiled. In unison, the two duelists dropped their firearms and reached towards the other sides of their waists before drawing their gleaming silver military-issued sabres.

    Alain rushed forth, moving through the shade of the grove as he quickly approached Alisander. His opponent simply stood in his place, an air of confidence emanating around him. Alisander grinned as Alain swung his blade in an arcing motion towards his head, posturing down low before raising his sabre to block. Alain''s strike was immediately blocked, sending waves of multi-coloured sparks flying through the air. Immediately afterwards, Alain released his grip on his blade and swung his fist towards Alisander''s face. It connected with a resounding ''crack'' as if Alisander''s nose had been broken in one strike. As Alisander was distracted by a dazed pain, Alain used the opportunity to pull the sabre from his opponent¡¯s grasp and thrust it into his abdomen. Still dazed by the punch, Alisander instinctually reached towards his abdomen, which now burgeoned with pools of blood, staining his pristine white shirt a dark crimson colour. Alisander fell to his knees as he stared up at Alain.

    "That- that was dirty-" He forced the sentence out of his mouth amidst pained breaths.

    Alain just let his mouth curl up his cheeks into a grin before replying curtly.

    "I didn''t come here to fight honourably. I came here to kill you. King''s to me."

    Alain winked at Alisander before turning his gaze away, allowing Alisander to fall over and die away from his notice while he walked over to the presider, Constantine. In the meanwhile, he cleaned the blood off of his blade and hands with his sleeve with a soft and satisfied smile on his face.

    When he looked over to Lumi¨¨re, his friend seemed lost in an inconsolable daze. Rather, Lumi¨¨re seemed horrified, so he attributed it to the magician''s lack of inexperience. But from Lumi¨¨re''s eyes, he couldn''t even bear to focus on the outcome of the duel.

    Lumi¨¨re failed to celebrate Alain''s victory alongside him. This was because rather than looking at Alain''s figure, his gaze had moved towards his shadow which had started to waver. Rather, all of the shadows attached to the people in the vicinity started to move. Alain''s had a big eye in the center of its head which blinked slowly before moving the gaze of its pupil around the area. Constantine''s had bright red eyes and seemed to be laughing maniacally, and Alisander''s second who stared down at the cold corpse of his companion had a shadow that had writhing hairs like tree branches, and a wide gaping mouth with thousands of needle-like teeth.

    Lumi¨¨re immediately recoiled and ran in the opposite direction out of the grove. He ran into mercurial street and past Alisander''s estate. He neither looked back nor below him to his own shadow, because he had already caught glimpses of it in passing. He knew that his own shadow had sprouted a fluttering black cloak, and had thousands of illusory ravens hovering around it, staring back up at Lumi¨¨re with their blood-red eyes.

    He didn''t stop running until he arrived at the monastery on Cobbler''s street, running past the two criminals Eamon and Adonis who always seemed to sit beside the waypost. He was scared that their shadows had also changed. He ran up the stairs to the monastery and into the silent empty hall. Father Benedict didn''t seem to be anywhere in sight, but Lumi¨¨re''s body was soothed by a familiar eerie calm. He glanced down at his shadow and realised it had returned to normal. His gaze moved back up to the statue of the Goddess in the centre of the monastery''s prayer hall. She had short bobbed hair and a spiked half-crown atop her head. Her eyes were blank and soothing, and her hand reached out towards her believers, guiding long weaving vines of thorns that wrapped around her form. Despite his apprehensions, while staring at the statue of the Goddess, Lumi¨¨re felt his worries wash away.

    So, he bit at his lip and sat in a pew in the prayer hall, bending over and clasping his hands together before closing his eyes and muttering the Goddess''s reverences.

    "In reverence to the Crown of Thorns, the Goddess, Lady of Ivy, whose bountiful hearth we warm ourselves with, your love doth shine..."

    After Lumi¨¨re had finished, he released a heavy sigh and stood up, making his way to the staircase at the side that led up to the second floor.

    ¡®What is going on¡­?¡¯

    He stepped down the hallway, not being careful to be silent, and entered his room. Lumi¨¨re then fell onto his bed, and feeling the fatigue of his day engulf him, immediately fell into a deep slumber.

 Chapter 22: Labyrinth within the darkness

    As soon as Lumi¨¨re had fallen asleep, he felt his lucidity immediately return to him. He put a hand to his head and reeled back from its pounding. His vision was blurred and seemed to spin at the same time. Moreover, he could feel the familiar eerie chill wash over his body- so calming yet so terrifying at the same time. Black aura engulfed his form, which matched the environment that presented itself to him as his vision normalised.

    The starry night sky at the back of his eyes when he had fallen asleep quickly took form into a grand formless castle in an ancient endless dark void. Shadows crept at the edges between the pitch-black fog, and a blinding white light residing in the endless darkness shone into the centre. In the light, the formless castle seemed to shift endlessly, changing its shape in every possible way every so often. Lumi¨¨re stood at the edge of a crumbling cliff, watching the rocks fall off of its edge before turning into dust as it brushed against the endless darkness. Lumi¨¨re raised his hand to look at it and realised his form had become transparent- as if he was no more than an illusory image. Countless thoughts began to race through his mind at the same time.

    ''Is this a dream? I swore that I had fallen asleep¡­''

    ''Then it''s why I don''t exactly feel real right now¡­ it makes sense.''

    ''Is that a castle? Why is it constantly changing?''

    Lumi¨¨re was wearing his daily wear- a white button-up shirt and a long black coat that was cut off near his ankles. Despite the sky being dark, it didn''t necessarily feel cold on his skin. Rather, the temperature seemed to seep through his body, so the chill rested on his bones and made him feel heavy.

    Between the cliff and the castle, it looked as if the void stretched on for miles. It was clear he would be unable to reach the castle in the dream, but since it was all fake anyway, Lumi¨¨re didn''t place much significance on it. So, Lumi¨¨re just kept watching the castle keep shifting. It gradually lost the form of a fortress and became an endless stone maze with a smaller castle in its centre. In a short time, it had become an ancient stone labyrinth. It seemed divided into thirteen sections, which Lumi¨¨re could count out from above. Each was themed in several different aesthetics, but it was too far for Lumi¨¨re to make out anything specific. As the labyrinth seemed to stop shifting, he gradually turned his gaze away from the stone structure and began to make out the endless darkness that surrounded him.

    Besides the bright-white star-like object that shone onto the labyrinth, as Lumi¨¨re furrowed his eyes, there seemed to be many creatures staring straight back at him. Big burgeoning eyes filled the darkness, barely visible. If it weren''t for the light, Lumi¨¨re wouldn''t have even realised he was being stared at from all directions.

    Lumi¨¨re took a deep breath and stared back up at the endless darkness.

    ''No¡­ it''s a dream. I don''t have to be scared.''

    ''Although, if I have to stay here staring at this place all day, I might not get much sleep. So how do I wake up? Do I have to die, like in those fantasy tales?''

    Lumi¨¨re''s eyebrows furrowed as he stepped towards the edge of the cliff and looked down. Just like the sky around him, there seemed to be an endless darkness. However, the darkness below was quite different. It looked like an endless churning sea of shadow, with massive tendrils erupting from its waves. The pitch-black tendrils slowly reached towards the labyrinth, slithering against its surface like snakes, but they were unable to make their way into it. So, they violently thrashed about on its surface, trapping it in an illusory embrace.

    ''How terrifying. Are these the representations of those ''creatures'' that I see in reality?''

    Lumi¨¨re clicked his tongue, and without hesitation, he stepped off of the edge.

    Lumi¨¨re tumbled through the air at intense speeds, barreling towards the torrents of darkness below. As he fell, the long black tendrils thrashed towards him, but as soon as they were about to touch him, they seemed to curl back in apprehension. Lumi¨¨re grinned softly at this and closed his eyes as he was engulfed by the waves of shadow. As soon as he fell through the void, a large black cloud rose like puffs of dust. In an instant, Lumi¨¨re felt his centre of gravity shift, and where he was once falling, he was soon stumbling backwards as he tried to stand up straight.

    He had appeared in a long dimly lit stone hallway with several doors, although some of them looked as if they were at the height of someone walking on the ceiling. On the far end of the hall past the multitude of doors was a circular room lit by dim orange torches. It was carved out of marble, held up by large ancient pillars surrounding the room. In the centre of the room was a large half-circle stone table with ornate carved trim. Eight high-back chairs sat around the table, and they all faced a large carved stone throne that sat above the curve of the table. There was no one present in the room, but on top of the half-circle table, there was an old black leather bound book that looked as if it had collected a century''s worth of dust. Atop the book was a silver-glowing rectangular object that immediately made fear rise in Lumi¨¨re''s heart.

    He ran into the room with the table and grasped at the card, turning it over in his hands. It was the One of Spades that he had encountered multiple times in reality. It had a light, nauseating black aura seeping out of it.

    ''I can''t escape this even in my dreams...''

    Atop the book, an opened letter sat. When Thomas had left the night he had visited the monastery, Lumi¨¨re had opened the package and stored away the silver flute safely. However, the letter, the invitation that was included had been lost to him. He had assumed that Thomas had forgotten to include it, but now he assumed he had been wrong. Its wax seal was engraved, and it looked like a sharp-edged black coloured eye with an upside-down cross piercing through it, acting like a slitted pupil. Besides the pupil, a serpent-like line crept up the cross in a spiralling fashion.

    ¡®Is this really a dream? If that¡¯s not the case¡­ then is this the domain of the Lord Sinner¡­?¡¯

    He reached towards the other book with his hand and brushed the dust off of its leathery surface. Clouds of dust filled the air around him, and as he waited for it to clear, he felt the air around him start to sting his skin like an icy chill. He now felt intensely cold, inside and out. Lumi¨¨re shivered as his gaze moved down towards the book''s surface and read the title on its cover, picking it up to see it closer.

    ''Poe''s Gnosis...?'' Lumi¨¨re puzzled inwardly. ''Who''s Poe? Is it someone I know? Why would something like this be in this domain? Has it been left for me?''

    However, before Lumi¨¨re could even begin to process the thought, screaming illusory voices began to ring in his head, sounding both close and far away at the same time. A cacophony of thousands of voices stacked on top of each other and began to repeat the same things endlessly.

    {''House of Cards. Orulinde Street. Joker.''}

    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.{''House of Cards. Orulinde Street. Joker.''}

    {''House of Cards. Orulinde Street. Joker.''}

    Lumi¨¨re fell back onto the floor with the book and card in hand, but he didn''t make contact with the stone floor. Instead, he sunk straight into it, and as the darkness converged around him, Lumi¨¨re found himself sitting upwards in bed. He let out harsh, exhausted pants, and fatigue seemed to cling desperately to his body as if he had gotten no sleep at all. Moreover, he could feel objects weighing down his palms, which made his heart sink even further. Looking down, he saw that he was still grasping the book and the silver-glowing card.

    ''House of cards? Orulinde Street? Joker? One of Spades? Poe''s Gnosis? What does any of this mean?''

    Suddenly, Lumi¨¨re''s eyes widened.

    ''Orulinde Street... isn''t that in the middle borough? The entertainment district... is that where that ''House of Cards'' is? If I go there, will I find out what this means?''

    Lumi¨¨re let out a soft sigh.

    ''But everything that''s happened so far has been extremely dangerous. If that ''House of Cards'' is related to those things, then blindly exploring it might bring me and Father Benedict trouble. I''ll have to tread carefully. Ten days have elapsed, should I try summoning Thomas¡­? No, he might be bothered being summoned so soon. My only option is to go by myself.''

    Lumi¨¨re still felt tired, but he was too shaken to go back to sleep. He was hesitant because he was sure that he would either dream of that nightmarishly bloody night or would appear in that endless darkness once more. So, he got out of bed and quickly got dressed so that he could continue with the day. He reached towards the pocket watch on his nightstand to check the time, but remembering its state, he quickly retracted his hand and looked towards the clock on the wall of his room. It had barely struck the fifth hour of the day, so the lilac-coloured moonlight was still streaming through the window, and the rainfall was pouring down in heavy droves. Lumi¨¨re tied up his excess messied hair before pulling a flat cap over it. He adjusted his spectacles and hesitantly glanced in the mirror hung up against the wall of his room.

    He let out a comforted sigh as he saw his exhausted face. His hair was a dark brown, and his eyes were a light-bluish grey. There was no figure overlaid over his form, and there was no black twisting aura permeating around his body. Moreover, at least for the time being, his shadow seemed normal and followed his every movement. It didn''t have a long fluttering cloak, red eyes, or illusory ravens flying about. He was just the normal Lumi¨¨re.

    Satisfied, Lumi¨¨re stepped out of his room. Father Benedict''s room sat at the far end of the hall, but the door was ajar, and the light had been shut off, which meant that he was out of the monastery. With no Dwindlers settling in or outside of the monastery, it also meant that he wasn''t preparing food for them. It led Lumi¨¨re to wonder what exactly he was up to, although considering the circumstances, Lumi¨¨re was sure that he had many things to do. With the monastery on Cobbler''s Street now missing two nuns, it meant that the Upper Cathedral of Leiden would soon send a replacement over. Surely, Father Benedict had many things to prepare in the meantime.

    As Lumi¨¨re stepped out into the rain, countless thoughts from before began to enter his mind as he parsed through them.

    ''If the book and the card from my dream stayed with me, there''s a large chance that the illusory labyrinth in the dark was real¡­ and in the shadows, I saw those burgeoning eyes and tendrils¡­'' Lumi¨¨re puzzled in his mind. ''Then, does that mean that those ''eyes'' I see often, and those murmurs I hear are a product of that endless darkness?''

    All the horrors that Lumi¨¨re saw as disconnected gradually began to coalesce together as he continued to think.

    ''Then, is this ''House of Cards'' connected to this One of Spades? But this card only appeared once that intruder had been killed¡­ was his appearance the meaning of the word ¡®heretic''? Am I now a heretic? Then, what good does this card do? Why has it been left to me, and why does that voice keep commanding my way? Are the ravings of that terrifying being related to the Lord Sinner? Is this the ¡®path¡¯ that has been set out for me to follow?''

    As he puzzled inwardly, he ascended the flowering steps that led to the middle borough. He made his way to mercurial street and turned a familiar corner as he entered Orulinde Street. He was a magician on that lonely corner, although he wasn''t wearing that familiar black half-top hat with a white stripe around its rim that carried the memories of a warm smile, so he felt out of place there.

    At that particular time, on what seemed like a very strange day, a familiar white mist began to creep along the edges of the street, quickly filling the area around him with a sense of mysteriousness. Lumi¨¨re walked through the street, looking in every direction as he eyed the buildings around him. Suddenly, as if all he needed to do was squint his eyes to see it, a large fantastical building that wasn''t previously before Lumi¨¨re came into view. It had many arched windows lining its exterior, but no matter how much Lumi¨¨re tried to peer through them, nothing could be seen inside.

    He had tucked the small knife left to him by Thomas into his boot before he had left. It wasn''t his first choice, but it was easier concealed than his sword, and so it was his only choice.

    In front of a fantastical wooden door that seemed as if it had been made for giants, a man with bright red ochre skin stood quietly, dressed in a dark attendant''s uniform and cap.

    Lumi¨¨re watched as a man approached the attendant with determination in his eyes.

    He looked young, with a face almost like a child''s, but he was as tall as Lumi¨¨re was. He had a light-brown long coat over a buttoned white robe. He had straight white hair that fell to his shoulders with soft yellow undertones. He had a gentle round jawline, and his face was calm yet serious- devoid of a smile. The man who looked quite young reached into his coat pocket and produced a rectangular object with a soft light-green sheen around its edges. As Lumi¨¨re saw the object, his eyes widened slightly.

    "Four of hearts." The man spoke towards the attendant before handing him the card. Accepting it, the attendant carefully glanced over it to gauge its authenticity, before presenting it back to the man with a nod.

    "Thank you, Mr. Osiris." The man bowed his head slightly before retrieving the card once again. The attendant bowed in return before reaching out his hand and pushing open the ornate door for the man.

    As much as Lumi¨¨re tried to peer through the open door, he couldn''t seem to perceive anything through the mist that had gathered in Orulinde Street.

    ''So if I don''t approach, I won''t be able to gather any information?''

    Lumi¨¨re expelled all the worry out of his heart as he let out a sigh. He then stepped across the street, making his way up a set of polished stone steps before standing before the ornate wooden door and the attendant dressed in fanciful attire. He stared up at the attendant, who blankly stared at him without saying a word. Lumi¨¨re reached into his jacket pocket and produced a rectangular object with a silver glow, presenting it to the attendant.

    "One of Spades," Lumi¨¨re said aloud, mimicking the man who had come before him.

 Chapter 23: Death of an attendant

    The attendant stared at him oddly for a moment, before letting out a sigh.

    "First timer?" He spoke softly. His voice was a bit gruff, yet quite deep and soothing. Even hearing it, Lumi¨¨re felt his tense nerves relax. It was like he was the peaceful transition between the outside world and the world of mysteries that awaited Lumi¨¨re.

    Lumi¨¨re simply nodded his head in turn, and the attendant let out a sigh. The attendant raised his hand, and short pitch-black claws spread out of his fingers. The attendant took Lumi¨¨re''s hand in his own, and with a quick swipe, he clawed a gash into Lumi¨¨re''s arm. He winced and attempted to stagger back in pain, but the attendant held his arm tight, and his gaze had moved to Lumi¨¨re''s wound. Thick red blood oozed out of the gash, dripping onto the ground off of Lumi¨¨re''s arm.

    Suddenly, the attendant''s expression grew surprised, and a maniacal smile crept up his face. The thick red blood had begun to flow upwards, and a shadowy black colour seeped into it. Waves of midnight erupted inwards, immediately turning his blood a black colour. The black blood began to drip in reverse, rising back towards his arm before twisting into a thin illusory mark on his skin. The mark quickly burnt itself into his skin with a harsh searing pain, but Lumi¨¨re was forced to bear it as the attendant held him in place with immense strength. When it had finished, Lumi¨¨re glanced at the symbol that had appeared on his arm with exhausted pants. It looked like a sharp-edged black coloured eye with an upside-down cross piercing through it, acting like a slitted pupil. Besides the pupil, a serpent-like line crept up the cross in a spiralling fashion. When Lumi¨¨re looked at the mark, his heart seemed to beat with intensity, so he looked away and glanced up towards the attendant, who had let go of his arm and began to smile with sincerity.

    "Welcome to the House of Cards, Mr. One of Spades." The attendant spoke softly.

    ''Eh? What was that all about? That black blood¡­ I''ve seen it before, haven''t I? And that mark, isn¡¯t that the seal of Lord Sinner that sealed the invitation to his domain?''

    Lumi¨¨re tried hard to recall, but he couldn''t bring up the memories of his past experiences. In the mist, his head felt foggy. Although, despite the horror of the experience, in the face of the attendant, he felt oddly calm, and so he didn''t exclaim too much. He just nodded towards the attendant and watched as he opened the large ornate door before him. As Lumi¨¨re stepped inside, the chill of the spring morning air gave way to a rich and invitingly warm atmosphere. Dozens of individuals moved carelessly about a regal ballroom. They were dressed in many fashions- in rags like Dwindlers, in outfits like adventurers, and in fanciful attire like magnates.

    There was a bar to the right side of the ballroom, where large countless shelves housed hundreds of bottles with glimmering coloured liquids inside them. The ceiling was several floors high, and the walls supported countless verandas held up by polished marble beams. Red curtains hung from atop the verandas, and a few people were seen looking down at the processions of the guests from above.

    A large red carpet stretched across the wooden floor, which in turn led up a dozen marbled steps, and settled at the foot of an ornate regal red-and-gold high-back chair. It was empty, and so the guests of the House of Cards paid it no mind. As he eyed the passerbys, he noticed that they too had marks on their arms. They all took the shape of eyes. One had a five-pointed star in place of the pupil, and another had a pupil like a sword. He noticed a mark like a wand- and another like a chalice. All those that wandered about the ballroom had some sort of minor variation of those four. They were all different from the one that Lumi¨¨re received.

    Not like Lumi¨¨re''s mark, they were either an illusory silver, blue, green, or golden glow. Since they were nothing like his, he instinctually pulled his sleeve over his lower arm and kept walking forward. He saw a man with long and straight white hair in a light-brown long coat standing at the side, the one he had seen enter the House of Cards before him. Beside him, there was a woman with stark black hair with violet highlights and dark purple eyes. The two of them seemed to stare in his direction, their gazes moving across all the participants of the House of Cards before settling on Lumi¨¨re. He tried to ignore the gazes of the two and took a seat at the far end of the ballroom, failing to participate in the warm sense of comradery as he quietly tried to gather information.

    Suddenly, a man with curly brown hair and green eyes dressed in an attendant''s outfit stepped out beside the regal high-back chair at the end of the hall. Immediately, the gazes of every member of the House of Cards turned towards him. The jestful conversations and laughter had ceased in an instant, and an eerie silence spread throughout the ballroom. It was reverent silence.

    ''This man¡­ he''s powerful. I can feel how the air in the room grows thick and heavy in his presence¡­''

    Lumi¨¨re grimaced slightly as he waited for the man to speak, but he didn''t part his lips to say a single word. Instead, he stood patiently at the side of the high-back chair and stared idly down at the audience that had gathered before the marbled steps. Instead, his hand rose and gestured towards the ornate wooden door he had emerged from to his side. Another attendant stepped out from the door and held it open as they stepped aside.

    A man then emerged from the polished ornate wooden door. He was wearing a black suit jacket with gold trim over a striped white shirt, and a pair of white trousers. He had gold cuff-links and shoulder-length curly black hair that fell in long locks past his ears. Even being in the same room as him made Lumi¨¨re feel incredibly anxious- as if a primal instinct to be wary had kicked in. It was clear that the man who made his way to the golden high-back chair at the long end of the room carried a strength that Lumi¨¨re could not reasonably comprehend- as if a deity had stepped foot onto the mortal plane.

    He looked over the House of Cards with pale yellow eyes and a calm smile that radiated confidence. As he sat down in the regal red-and-gold high-back chair, he leaned his head on his hand before crossing his left leg over his right, and with his other hand, gestured for the processions to start. He exuded an air of arrogance as if everything was at his leisure. With his power, it surely was. Who could tell him to act otherwise?

    The people who had acted leisurely and friendly around him immediately abandoned their air of comradery. In an instant, the mood in the House of Cards grew tense. Lumi¨¨re could feel greed and bloodthirst in the eyes that darted around the room- as if everyone had sensed an opportunity arising in that moment. Without hesitation, a man with black hair and tinted glasses stepped into the centre of the room, before proceeding to climb the red-carpeted steps to face the man who sat in the high-back chair. He held reverence in his expression, yet despite approaching a being who looked as if he could erase the man''s existence with a snap of his finger, there was no fear emanating from the man. As he stood before the being in the high-back chair, he put a hand against his chest and bowed slightly, speaking aloud as he raised his head.

    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    "Greetings, Mr. Joker. I''ve come to you with a formal request today."

    Lumi¨¨re''s eyes widened immediately, his gaze shifting to look over the being that sat leisurely. His mind immediately began to race with countless thoughts as he recalled the murmurs that erupted in his dreams.

    ''House of Cards, Orulinde Street¡­ Joker. So this was it. This ''being'' that sits before me is what I heard previously. But what connection does he have to all of this? As soon as he appeared, the casual atmosphere dissipated and grew serious, as if business had started. Is he the leader of this organisation? No¡­ this man came to him with a request¡­ so is he more like a convener?''

    "And that would be?" The being called ''Joker'' replied casually.

    "I am the ''Five of Clubs''. If the man ''Six of Clubs'' is present, I would challenge him formally to a duel.''

    "Woman. You''d be fighting me." A voice immediately called out from the crowd that watched carefully over the processions. As the voice echoed through the hall, a woman wearing a furred cloak stepped out from the crowd. She had long black hair, of which the left side had been braided in rows against the side of her head. Her eyes were a dull grey, and she carried a broadsword at her waist.

    The Joker''s calm smile curled upwards into a wider grin, and he exclaimed curtly.

    "Wonderful. Then, what will your choice be, Six of Clubs? Will you pay the penalty, or will you fight the man? You have ten seconds to decide before I kill you both."

    ''Kill them both? No¡­ he can''t be considered a ''convener'' in this case. He''s more like a game-master¡­ so, like his namesake, perhaps this entire ordeal is like a ''joke'' to a being like him. What''s the flip side to this? Why would people choose to willingly participate in his game?''

    "I don''t have the money to pay him, and I''m not yet ready to pay my portion of flesh in place of gold. I''ve no children to sacrifice, nor any wares to barter. I''ll fight the man." The woman sighed hesitantly.

    "Alright." The Joker spoke softly. "You may proceed with it, then."

    The two ''club card'' holders stepped into the middle of the ballroom, which was devoid of carpeting. It was a polished stone square with intricate red markings, with positions for two people to stand opposed- as if the express purpose of the stone platform was for duelling.

    Suddenly, the woman who called herself the ''Six of Clubs'' extended her palm straight outwards. Thick, dark shadows began to curl around her arm, and Lumi¨¨re began to shiver fiercely. In an instant, the shadows around the room began to tremble, and Lumi¨¨re was reminded once more of the horrific sight he had seen prior.

    ¡®They control shadows like the rat man¡­ so this place really is connected to the attack on the monastery! It¡¯s connected to Elise¡¯s death!¡¯

    "Hold on." The Joker called out suddenly, holding up his hand towards the two of them to signal them to stop. "Well, we have some little doves present here today. You have to consider that you''ve been allowed to borrow a greater power and could bring harm to those who just want to watch the entertainment. How could you even think to rob them of that joy?"

    The Joker let out a soft sigh and looked casually over towards the attendant who stood beside him.

    "Abaddon. Take care of it, won''t you?"

    The attendant nodded slightly, before stepping forward. He quickly raised his hand, causing the countless golden bands around his arm to create ''clinking'' sounds against each other. A dark, malevolent energy radiated from his fingertips, pooling against the surface of his palm before shooting out in small beams towards the man and woman in the centre of the room. Immediately, the stone platform in the centre was enveloped in a thick black smog that crystallised and became a clear barrier around the two.

    "Now you can fight to your heart''s content." The Joker smiled calmly, before leaning his head onto his hand once more. "You may begin whenever you wish."

    Although, as soon as they were to begin, the woman immediately lowered her hand. Staring at her opponent, she realised that the man named the ''Five of Clubs'' had eyes that had already glossed over. He had fainted standing up. Moreover, the woman felt her legs give out underneath her as she fell to her knees, her vision growing dark and her eyes heavy.

    The Joker made a ''tsk'' and glanced with an annoyed expression towards his attendant, Abaddon. He had raised his hand, lifting his head as his attention moved towards the duel.

    "You''re supposed to restrict the powers to a thin access, you fool." He sighed. "You let your ambit wash over him like a wave. That''s why he fainted- he could barely handle your foolishness. You can see the effects, can''t you? That woman is barely conscious. If I hadn''t done anything about it, they would have died. Deaths not at my hands are rarely entertaining."

    Abaddon bowed apologetically, but the Joker just shrugged it off exasperatedly. The Joker instead stood up from his seat, straightening his jacket as his gaze shifted towards his attendant.

    "Abaddon." He spoke calmly, a grin curling up his expression.

    "Yes, Lord Joker?" Abaddon spoke in response, his demeanor growing slightly nervous. He shifted his standing position to weight his back heel, as if he was preparing to flee at any moment. Abaddon subsequently eyed the other attendant beside him, as if begging for assistance, but none came, and the other attendant kept a calm, unmoving expression about him.

    "What is rule one, Abaddon?" The Joker asked of him.

    "It is ''Do not, under any circumstances, harm or in any way inconvenience the guests of the House of Cards'', sir." Abaddon replied. His voice had grown slightly shakey, and it was clear that fear lingered in his eyes, despite the Joker''s genial expression.

    "Abaddon, what did you do just now?"

    "I harmed a guest, Lord Joker."

    Abaddon''s calm expression had vanished, and sweat formed on his skin.

    Lumi¨¨re watched from the crowd as the figure known as ''The Joker'' stepped close to Abaddon. He watched in horror as the Joker lurched forward, catching Abaddon''s head with his hand. The Joker threw him forward, and as his attendant cried out in pleas for mercy, Abaddon was embedded in the wall behind him. The Joker, now standing apart from the attendant begging for mercy, lifted his hand up slightly.

    With a single snap of his fingers, Abaddon''s eyes began to bulge. As if they were filling up with gas, they begin to emit a harsh leaking sound, and as Abaddon cried out in pain, his skull too began to swell. Abaddon grasped at his head, and unable to beg any longer, all he could do was cry out and gargle as if he were suffocating. Then, his head burst open. Blood and grey brain matter stained the floor and walls, and the staircase that led upwards to the high-back chair was carpeted in a further shade of crimson. The Joker looked on at the sight disdainfully, his clothes having been coated in his attendant''s blood. The entire ordeal had taken only ten seconds, but Abaddon''s screams still seemed to ring throughout the House of Cards, as if they had been etched into the hall itself.

    "Inconveniencing the guests is my job, dear attendant." The Joker smiled softly, wiping the blood off of his hand with a handkerchief provided by his other attendant, reeling back before sitting back down in his seat.

    Lumi¨¨re''s eyes shook with a sense of fear and horror, and apprehension clung to his heart, but as he looked at the violence of the grand being standing before him, he felt the sudden urge to walk forward. It felt once again as if a fire had ignited in his heart, fueled by the memories of Elise, who had died in his very arms. He wanted to abandon all of his cautiousness in search of immediate answers. He wanted to know if the being before him knew of, or was responsible for her death.

    "Clean him up." The Joker spoke to the other attendant beside him.

    The Joker turned towards the audience that had gathered, and with a genial smile, spoke out once more.

    "My apologies for the disturbance. If any other matters are to be presented, they should be voiced out now. Feel free to proceed."

 Chapter 24: The Joker

    Lumiere looked on in horror at the processions of the Joker''s gathering within the House of Cards. His body was shaken, his mind frail, yet his heart grew steeled.

    In unison, Lumi¨¨re had come to a realisation watching the woman control the shadows. When the duel had begun, the man had also tried to weave the shadows around him, but it had taken him much longer, and so if it had gone on, it was likely he would have lost. That was the meaning of ''six'' being higher than ''five''. In just a moment, he had grasped that fundamental difference.

    ''I see¡­ the cards are in some way directly connected to this ''power'' that they wield. The higher cards of a suite influence one''s strength, so the way to progress one''s innate strength is to ascend the suite. One will always be at a disadvantage in a duel against their senior, but that''s the price paid for vying for greater power. Then, to balance the ''duel'' aspect, the challenged senior can buy their way out of the duel by paying their junior an equal amount of currency or wares. That ''game-master'' Joker gets his entertainment, and the participants gain power. That is the existence of the House of Cards¡­''

    This also meant that as a ''One of Spades'', he was severely outclassed. He was a small fish standing in a pool of sharks. He could feel the malice in the wandering eyes around him that seemed to scan for prey, but he let out a heavy sigh and calmed his heart before steeling his gaze. Slowly, he began to connect an unquenchable anger to the being that sat at the head of the ballroom. If that spade card had been connected to the person who had intruded on the monastery, then surely that person at the head of the room was connected to it in some way.

    The caution that Lumi¨¨re had chosen to proceed with slowly slipped away. His malice slowly began to seep out of his body, forming a light illusory black aura around his body. The greedy eyes of the room quickly shifted over to Lumi¨¨re who began to waltz up the steps towards the man at the head of the room. Their gazes weren''t filled with greed- but had gathered an irrefutable sense of craziness in Lumi¨¨re''s actions.

    Looking towards the man approaching him, the Joker''s smile curved upwards as he leaned his head on his hand.

    ''If I don''t act forward here, it''s likely he''ll just cast me aside. If he likes entertainment, then isn''t an ''ant'' acting like a giant quite so?''

    Lumi¨¨re stood before the intense being that sat in the regal high-back chair with trembling legs. Every part of his body seemed to tense up in his presence, and each of his hairs had stood up straight out of anxiousness.

    "And who are you, little dove?" The Joker asked of him with a calm smile, still in a relaxed posture.

    "I''m Lumi- no, the One of Spades." Lumi¨¨re bit at his tongue, before pulling the card out of his inner coat pocket with two fingers before displaying it so that the Joker could see it.

    "Ha- you really are a little dove, a fledgling. What business do you have with me, and where does your forward attitude that defies human nature come from?"

    The Joker laughed in amusement.

    "Don''t worry, I''m not going to harm you, as long as you''re not boring. So far you''ve been quite interesting. Freely speak your business."

    Lumi¨¨re''s eyes filled up with worry.

    "I should speak with you here, in front of all of these people?" Lumi¨¨re asked of him hesitantly.

    "You would demand otherwise? From me?" The Joker retorted with a look of amusement.

    Lumi¨¨re continued to glance at him nervously. The Joker just let out a quiet sigh and waved his hand in the air. Lumi¨¨re was about as terrified of the people around him as he was with the Joker. If he could separate the two from his business, then he would only have to worry about one of the groups at a time. So, Lumi¨¨re tried to appease his malice and shove it away into the depths of his heart, presenting a calm unmoving atmosphere about him.

    "Very well. They won''t be able to hear us for a short time. I''ve removed their sense of ''hearing''." The Joker smiled in an amused fashion.

    Lumi¨¨re''s eyes shimmered with a slight sense of horror, but he steeled his heart as he remembered who he was facing in that moment, and parted his lips as if to speak. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the familiar silver-glowing card before presenting it to the Joker.

    "This card... it''s yours, right?"

    "No, it''s your card, little dove." The Joker smiled softly. "Do you know what it does?"

    Lumi¨¨re shook his head in response.

    "Well, it''s not my job to say, so I''ll refuse to tell you anything about it, even if you ask."

    Lumi¨¨re slipped back into thought for a moment as he recalled the information he wanted to acquire apart from the use and meaning of the card. As it had appeared beside the rat man, the only assumption he could make was that it was in some way related to the attack.

    "The person related to this card was responsible for killing someone... close to me."

    Lumi¨¨re''s eyes unconsciously with a distrusting malice as he met the being''s calm gaze. He couldn''t help failing to curb the turmoil of his feelings when those horrific thoughts came to the forefront of his mind.

    "These cards seem to lead back to you, so does this mean that you''re the one responsible for taking her away from me?"

    The Joker''s lips curled up a bit as he witnessed the churning malice in the eyes of the man before him, and he raised his palm slightly as if to feign ignorance.

    "If one throws a rock into the ocean, and a thousand years later, another picks up that rock and casts it at someone, is the original person responsible for that grievance?"

    ''This guy... is he comparing magical abilities to stones?'' Lumi¨¨re''s brows furrowed as he cursed inwardly. ¡®Still, him speaking like this- is he claiming he¡¯s the origin of these templates of power?¡¯

    Seeing that Lumi¨¨re wasn''t quite satisfied with that answer, the Joker let out a sigh and asked him a question in turn.

    "Is your heart not satisfied because you didn''t kill that man with your own hands? Is that why you were hoping there was some grand mastermind left, for an ''alternate end'' to finish yourself, so you didn''t have to feel so guilty for doing nothing?"

    "You- how can you know that?" Lumi¨¨re''s eyes widened. He had not known how the intruder had died so suddenly, as he had lost consciousness, but he knew that at the very least, it wasn''t him. So, he felt as if he had not really avenged Elise. It would have been real trouble for him if there was some grand mastermind behind it all, especially if it was the powerful being that sat before him. However, despite that, it would have comforted Lumi¨¨re to know it wasn''t over because it meant he had a chance to rid himself of the gnawing pain in his heart.

    "I know many things." The Joker replied furtively. "I also know that your little ''hope'' still exists. There¡¯s still someone- no, many people you can kill to make up for your regret."

    "There really was someone behind it all?" Lumi¨¨re exclaimed. He lurched forward as if to grasp at the Joker, but the attendant named Abaddon quickly stepped between them. Amused, the Joker raised his hand to tell Abaddon to step back and then stood up from his seat. He was a bit taller than Lumi¨¨re, so his gaze fell downwards as he stood above the magician.

    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    "I can tell you who was behind it, but I won''t." The Joker smiled softly. "You see, despite my demeanour, as much as I love fun, I also care for my little doves. Of course, I''m not above killing you all, but that''s a pleasure I won''t give to others. As long as you know of ''his'' identity, you''ll be in danger. I would rather you not die yet, so you can provide me with further entertainment."

    "Then when can you tell me?" Lumi¨¨re''s eyebrows furrowed. "How do I know that you''re not lying right now just to get rid of me?"

    The Joker walked back to his high-back chair with a soft grin, before turning around and sitting back down. He leaned his head on his hand before replying curtly.

    "When you''ve grown stronger, I''ll consider it." He waved his hand dismissively. "Of course, that can''t stop you from wanting to explore the matter yourself, which I''m sure you will do. I just won''t offer you help in killing yourself in that regard, is all. As for whether I''m lying or not, you won''t know until you''ve grown stronger or investigated the matter yourself. There''s not anything you can do about me right now, anyway."

    Lumi¨¨re bit at his lip in aggravation. He felt intense turmoil, of both anger, annoyance, and excitement. He felt satisfied knowing it wasn''t over, but he also felt a bit scared, anxious, and hesitant. To grow stronger, using what he had gathered so far to formulate a basis, he realised he would have to fight with those ''card holders'' belonging to his suite. However, he didn''t particularly know what those powers even entailed. The two he had seen fight previously were holders of the ''club'' cards, and so they were prone to being different.

    "The powers of the card that woman used- the ''Six of Spades'' could control shadow."

    The Joker''s expression grew a bit tense on the matter of the subject, but he still kept a genial look about him.

    "Every once in a while you see them, don''t you? ''His'' shadows." The Joker smiled softly. ¡°You¡¯ve been gifted a small amount of ¡®insight¡¯, haven¡¯t you? You¡¯re the bestowed of a Deity, I can tell. With the ability to see those creatures that lie in the darkness, they must be trying to turn you into a Beacon. How amusing.¡±

    ¡®He can tell such a thing? Fuck, I gave too much away¡­ but to him, who seems equivalent to a very powerful being, maybe even withholding information is useless. He knew of the attack on the monastery, after all¡­¡¯

    "What are those creatures?" Lumi¨¨re asked of him.

    "It would be dangerous for you to know, once again. So, I won''t tell you. The more you know of them, the more ''He'' will know of you. It''s how ''He'' gathers information. Just knowing that they exist puts you in great danger. Since ''they'' know that you know, the one that rests in your shadow is likely looking for every opportunity to kill you."

    ¡®¡¯He¡¯? So it¡¯s another powerful being I¡¯ve run into? Why so suddenly have I fallen into such dangerous waters?¡¯

    "How can I avoid my own shadow? Am I doomed to die?"

    The Joker let out a sigh before raising his hand slowly. He snapped his fingers together, and immediately, the space around his hand seemed to warp. In an instant, a small ornate wooden box appeared in his palm.

    "This music box- well, there''s nothing particularly unordinary about it. You could find one just like it in any toy shop. The shadows are quite prone to exhausting themselves- so much so that any sudden exertion of their strength or any soothing environmental factor will cause them to enter an immediate and long slumber."

    "So, with this music box, I can indefinitely keep the creature at bay?" Lumi¨¨re asked, accepting the box from the being''s extended hand. The Joker didn''t respond in turn, staring down at Lumi¨¨re with a quiet expression. "So, what''s the price for this music box?"

    "You''ll owe me a simple favour, which will be repaid at my discretion. It won''t endanger your life too greatly, so you don''t have to worry about it too much."

    ''You say that way too lightly when I''m sure anything that involves you will be dangerous.'' Lumi¨¨re sighed inwardly.

    "So, what should I do now?"

    "Live...? Die...? Why are you asking me? Why should I care about what happens to you, little dove? I''ve said I''ll do all I can to ensure you''ll be entertaining to me, but don''t imagine it extends so far as to tell you how to live your life."

    Looking at Lumi¨¨re''s lost expression, the Joker sighed aloud and leaned forward in his seat.

    "The world is cruel, and now you''re a prime component of its reality." He spoke straightforwardly. "You now have magic- real magic that all children dream of, and that all adults lament the lack of. So, embrace that gnawing feeling in your heart and begin to wonder- what will you seek to do?"

    He had traded his hatred of a cruel world for the fulfilment of a dream. His euphoria had become reality in his hands, and so had his participation in the malice of the present. Long had he lamented his lies in place of real magic, and obtaining it had only cost him everything.

    "What am I now?"

    "You are a man, and so you are a sinner." The Joker grinned, leaning his head back on his hand.

    Lumi¨¨re let out a sigh and steeled his gaze as he looked back up towards the lofty and powerful being.

    "If not from you, how do I figure out what I can do with this card?" Lumi¨¨re asked of him with furrowed eyes.

    "Do you expect me to guide you? Do I look like a teacher to you?" The Joker furrowed his eyes. "You have a room full of people to ask. Moreover, why isn''t your first instinct to ask that book of yours?"

    "It can tell me such things?" Lumiere furrowed his brow. "How do you even know such a thing?"

    "Once again, I know many things. You received a mysterious item, and your first instinct was not to explore it? You really are an amusing individual. I¡¯ll watch you with great interest." The Joker smiled warmly, before letting out a pitiful laugh. "Open that book once you''re free of here. This is the last piece of advice I''ll give you. If you wish for more answers, bring me something entertaining. Now leave me, I''m already quite bored of talking with you."

    The Joker waved his hand lightly- as if to tell Lumi¨¨re to clear his sight of him.

    "Wait, there''s a payment for all of this information, isn''t there?"

    "Consider it the same as the debt with the music box." He said dismissively. "Now, go away, little dove. Go get stronger so you''re more useful to me."

    Lumi¨¨re walked back down the steps with a sigh, and gradually everyone''s sense of hearing returned. Yet, Lumi¨¨re turned back towards the Joker with one last question.

    "Why do you want everyone here to grow stronger? Why provide them with these abilities?"

    The Joker''s smile curved up his lips slightly.

    "I''ll tell you when you grow stronger."

    ¡®Ironic.¡¯

    Lumiere stepped back out of the House of Cards into the mist, where the night had emerged, and the air was cold and silent. He had found no answers, but there was some slight glimmer of hope that there was someone he could kill.

    There was a sense that he could become half of himself, for the sake of himself, for he who had lost all, and for he who had nothing at all.

    End of Act 1, Despair.

 Chapter 25: Poes Gnosis

    Lumi¨¨re turned to face the House of Cards as he stepped back into the foggy street. It had lost all of its charm and had begun to look like any other building. The attendant he had met earlier- the one named ''Osiris'' had disappeared.

    ''I should ask the book about the cards? Do books even talk?''

    He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out the aged black leather-bound book.

    ''It didn''t seem out of the ordinary when I pulled it away from the labyrinth in the shadows. So why did that grand being mention it specifically?''

    Lumi¨¨re raised the book into the air, eyeing it curiously. His sleeve slipped a bit, revealing the mark that Osiris had clawed into his flesh- the eye with an upside-down cross like a slitted pupil, with a serpent curling upwards. Immediately, the pitch-black mark began to glow a bright silver, and the snake curling around the cross shot up his wrist, settling on the surface of the book. It immediately began to twist itself into a different shape- much like a budding tree. Then, the snake wrapped itself around the trunk of the tree and began to glow a faint silver colour. In unison, another snake reappeared on the mark on his wrist and became inanimate.

    ¡®Poe¡¯s Gnosis, huh?¡¯

    Alongside the glow of the book''s cover, several pages of the book turned a faint silver along their edges. Lumi¨¨re hesitantly brushed his fingertips along the leather cover, flipping it open to the first page. On its illusory surface, there was a single line scrawled in black ink.

    ¡ª Welcome to horror, thou who art a murderer. This journal is your lament. This journal is your haven. This journal is you.

    ¡®Murderer? Isn¡¯t that what those illusory voices would say?¡¯

    Besides the single line on the first page, there were several red marks on the page underneath. Seven thumbprints were set in a line, marked with blood.

    ¡®Why seven? I think it unlikely that the owner of this book had seven thumbs, so what could that mean? Past readers, maybe? But if someone owned this book once, why did they leave it behind in that eerie labyrinth?¡¯

    Lumi¨¨re hurriedly flipped to the second page, his gaze brushing over the stanzas of black ink that looked as if they were quickly writing themselves onto the paper before his eyes.

    ¡ª The world is harsh- filled with many discrepancies and dangers. This ¡®Gnosis¡¯- this ¡®Guide¡¯ of all knowledge I have acquired will help you navigate this world safely. When it begins to glow silver, the Gnosis¡¯s heart will begin to beat, and it will begin to scrawl out information in its black blood. For your sake, you detestable murderer, this beautiful creature will suffer, and then when it has served its purpose, it will die. I cannot escape the cost of guilt, either. I¡¯m the one who set this all in motion, anyway. Because you are like me, you are prone to receiving my journal. It¡¯s just relative attraction, I¡¯m sure. It¡¯s not unlike magnetic force. How cruel must you be to be like me, I wonder?

    Lumi¨¨re¡¯s brows furrowed slightly, and a grimace crossed his face. The more he focused, the more he could recognise that the mild pulsing he could feel was not from his heartbeat, but rather the soft tremors of the book he had been holding. He had several urges to throw the book far away from him, but instead, he let out a harsh sigh and flipped to the next page.

    ¡ª You are a ¡®heretic¡¯. That is not some sort of personal slight from me. That is what my colleagues have chosen to label one of their certain sins- a ¡®domain¡¯ of magical power. Its derivative history isn¡¯t too important. The only thing you should be able to grasp is that it is because you are the worst of people. You are a killer. You are a sinner. So, you are a heretic. That is all.

    Lumi¨¨re continued to read, his expression growing more tense as he walked through Orulinde Street and turned the familiar foggy corner.

    ¡ª In the following entries, I will meticulously describe the powers you¡¯ve unlocked from your sins, you detestable bastard. At the cost of life, you are now quite powerful. Isn¡¯t that wonderful? Because you are a killer, your powers are quite relative to that. You will be able to draw power from blood cleaved from human and animal flesh, forsake your beloved Goddesses, deceive your enemies, weave the gaudiness of bright silver flames, and become the world¡¯s most detestable liar. Of course, ¡®liar¡¯ is just an insult towards you. You will become an illusionist, the world¡¯s most profitable liar.

    Lumi¨¨re couldn¡¯t help but allow his expression to twist, his lips curling downwards.

    ¡®What do you mean, ¡®detestable¡¯? When have I ever killed, you fool who knows nothing at all¡­¡¯ Lumi¨¨re cursed inwardly. ¡®Rather, why am I, the reader, being insulted so much? What could you possibly know of me? You¡¯re probably long dead, so are you looking at me from some grand plane above, choosing to make fun of me in this way?¡¯

    ¡®Illusionist- huh? Despite all the badmouthing of this author, he seems to know that part of me well- the part of the liar.¡¯

    Lumi¨¨re¡¯s gaze softened slightly, and he flipped to the next silver-glowing page of the journal. Thick black liquid twisted on its surface, etching lines in the Iles language, which had been commonplace throughout the Western Continent for thousands of years. Its grandiose complexity was hard to read for most commoners, and so the Thalis script- which was much simpler, made up of lines and shapes, had been born from its roots. Lumi¨¨re knew both because they were both common in the scripture of the Crown of Thorns, so with a little bit of effort, he was able to read through what seemed like ancient text within the Gnosis.

    ¡ª As a liar, your illusion is one of your best abilities. For now, as a little fledgling, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s all you can do to conjure simple lies. Perhaps you can fill the air with subtle ¡®illusory murmurs¡¯ to confuse or mislead your enemies. As a liar, you can sketch images into the air, or disguise yourself as small creatures. Of course, because you are just a liar, it¡¯s all just an illusion. You won¡¯t really be whatever you choose to look like. As a drawback, because you¡¯re still a fledgling, these illusions won¡¯t last too long, so using the ability sparingly is necessary.

    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    ¡ª As a murderer, the blood you sow becomes incredibly important to your skillset. As of now, all you can probably do is ¡®trace¡¯ that blood- rather, use it as a source of tracking. If your opponent runs, but you manage to spill his blood, you can gather its general origin, and track him down. I¡¯m sure since you¡¯re so prone to death, you¡¯ll be able to detect the presence of blood, and therefore some sense of danger around you. It¡¯s all that comes with being detestable.

    ¡ª As a heretic, you can blaspheme the Goddesses. The further you go, the more power you¡¯ll be able to draw- the grander the effects will be. Of course, this power comes at the cost of backlash. Most often, the cost of your enhancement will be the immediate draining of your remaining stamina after a short time has passed. There¡¯s a slight chance, however, that the drawback will exceed the draining of stamina, and have much more adverse effects on your body.

    ¡®Blaspheme the Goddesses? Isn¡¯t that incredibly dangerous? The Gnosis describes a natural drawback, but isn¡¯t drawing on the ire of the Goddesses incredibly dangerous apart from that? Couldn¡¯t drawing their gazes towards me increase my inclination to madness? No, I guess that doesn¡¯t really matter. It won¡¯t change my goals, even if I go crazy.¡¯

    ¡ª As a human, you¡¯ve been gifted fire, despite the wishes of the Gods. You¡¯ll be able to conjure bright silver flames and control them in a certain range.

    Lumi¨¨re¡¯s face twisted upon reading this line. Horrifying memories rushed through his mind, and his heart began to beat faster. He immediately closed the book and slipped it back into his pocket. He had no motivation to read further and just wanted to go back home and slip into his bed. His vision grew a bit blurry, and he had to reach up and wipe the cascading tears away from his eyes just to see clearly. Lumi¨¨re sniffled a little bit, blaming it on the cold spring air, and descended the flowering steps that led to the lower borough. He passed Etten-Leur and came to the familiar signpost that marked the entrance to Cobbler¡¯s Street.

    ¡®With a trove of information like this¡­ there¡¯s no need to bother Thomas with my questions. He may be a ¡®comrade¡¯, but I would prefer he stay far away from me for the time being¡­¡¯

    He stumbled down the street, past the lonely hillside and up the stone steps that led into the monastery. Through the doorway, he entered the hall where oil lamps burnt a dim light and stepped up to the second floor. Standing in front of his door, he could feel an eerie dull pain in his head, and an ache across his body that accompanied a chill. He placed his hand on the brass doorknob, which felt as if it had frozen over, and pushed the door open. Greeting the sight of his warm room, he couldn¡¯t help but let a relaxed smile creep up his face, although as he stepped through the doorway, it quickly dropped from his expression.

    The room quickly shifted around him, a deep abyss enveloping the open sky.

    He stood in a long dimly lit stone hallway with several doors, although some of them looked as if they were at the height of someone walking on the ceiling. On the far end of the hall past the multitude of doors was a circular room lit by dim orange torches. It was carved out of marble, held up by large ancient pillars surrounding the room. In the centre of the room was a large half-circle stone table with ornate carved trim. Eight high-back chairs sat around the table, and they all faced a large carved stone throne that sat above the curve of the table. At the long end of the left side of the table, sitting in a plain high-back chair, a man with black hair tinged with grey, and deep black eyes that seemed as vast as the cosmos stared back at him.

    As he met Lumi¨¨re¡¯s gaze, a gentle smile curved up on his face, and he leaned back in his seat, almost beckoning the magician¡¯s approach. Lumi¨¨re¡¯s body still felt intensely cold and stiff, but he lurched forward towards the room. Almost immediately, as the man watched over him with a goading expression, the entrance to the hall shifted. Lumi¨¨re fell through the open doorway, and the space around him seemed to shift, spinning on a clockwise axis until Lumi¨¨re was forced to fall flat on his side. Glancing up, a room of shadow took form around him. The only obvious illumination came from the ceiling, where the stone structure had begun to crumble, and the light of the star-like object in the centre of the abyss shone through.

    In the centre of the room, there was a single wooden chair lying underneath a hung noose.

    Immediately, the Gnosis in Lumi¨¨re¡¯s jacket pocket began to glow a bright silver.

    ¡ª

    In the capital of the Forger Empire, Lindgram, an attendant came stumbling through the door of the ornate room of two noblemen with a message stumbling from his lips.

    ¡°Mr. Alisander is dead?¡±

    A curt laugh interrupted his sentence. A man with bright orange hair and emerald eyes had a harmless smile on his face, his legs resting atop an ornate table. He had been twirling a chess piece between his fingers, but after hearing of the news, he had thrown it to the side and sat forward. A man with the same aesthetic, albeit his locks longer, his eyes tinged with grey, and his clothes wildly more feminine spoke out.

    ¡°Who was it? Who killed our little merchant?¡±

    The attendant who had passed on the news held a fearful bow, and his body immediately crumpled onto the floor in a heap. The light had ceased glimmering in his eyes, and his flesh and bones began to twist in unusual ways. Fragments of his bones poked through his skin, and blood soaked into the already crimson carpets below. The attendant slowly stood up once more, and his eyes glowed a fierce, otherworldly hue. He was a demon, now masquerading in the corpse of a boy.

    ¡°Euler, who was it?¡± The man sitting down at the table asked him.

    ¡°It was his rival- Alain Monroe, and another man- Lumi¨¨re Croft. It was quite a spectacle, a little duel between mortal men.¡± The demon- Euler, smiled.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care about how it came about. I just care about the outcome, which is that my sponsorship has been for nought.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Orion-¡° The demon spoke furtively.

    He was quickly interrupted.

    ¡°Calister.¡± Orion corrected the demon, before slipping back into his seat. ¡°I¡¯ll pay them a visit, then.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, Mr. Calister- but is it wise for you to abandon the Noble¡¯s Gathering this early? Discussions about your estate will surely arise soon.¡±

    Orion turned towards the man in feminine attire who stood beside him, leaning against the wall.

    ¡°Will you stay here, Pandora?¡± Orion asked of him, a warm smile curling up on his face. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of our ¡®little problem¡¯ in Leiden, so sit here for the Noble¡¯s Gathering, and then join me there.¡±

    ¡°It will take you a while to reach there from the Capital, won¡¯t it? Will you be all right by yourself? You won¡¯t get lonely?¡± Pandora asked in return, worried.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, brother. There¡¯s no need to worry.¡±

    Orion stood up from his seat, cracking his neck as he looked down towards the demon, who had begun to look hobbled.

    ¡°Euler, grant me your power this time. I¡¯ll give you another servant as payment.¡±

    The demon boy¡¯s lips curled up, caked in blood.

    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Calister. You truly are the most kind, to grant me so much.¡±

    ¡°Shut up. You stay here, too. I don¡¯t need you, just your power.¡±

    Orion stepped out of the room, having rolled up his sleeves. Without the presence of his brother, his genial expression had faded, malice quickly taking over.

 Chapter 26: Aggressive Shadows

    Lumi¨¨re eyed the chair in the center of the room once more, pulling the Gnosis out of his inner pocket in the meanwhile. He flipped to the page that had begun to glow anew and skimmed its contents. Immediately, black ink began writhing on the surface of the paper, spreading out into legible text.

    ¡ª [Zone, Alpha-1]

    ¡ª [Class 8 Danger]

    ¡ª [Entity Count: Low]

    ¡ª [Notable Hazards: The zone is known to shift periodically, as well as deteriorate in stability. The creeping shadow is known to cause a loss of rationality, and must be avoided at all costs using any possible source of light. Moreover, if a singular wooden chair is is detected, it must not be glanced at more than once-]

    Lumi¨¨re stopped reading the text, slipping the book that glowed a dim silver into his jacket pocket before stepping forward. As if he had lost all ability to control his body, his legs seemed to move on their own, steadily approaching the chair in the center of the room. His body filled with an unplaceable sense of warmth. To him, the chair seemed almost inviting. Although, as he reached it, he didn''t sit down in it. Instead, he placed a foot on its surface, using it as a step to propel himself upwards. When he stood with both feet on the chair, he unconsciously grabbed the noose hanging above it with both hands, slipping his neck into it before kicking the chair away.

    When his lucidity returned to him, he was already dangling from the ceiling of the room. Fear filled his mind with racing thoughts, and the skin of his neck began to writhe with burning pain.

    ''Fuck, what was that? What just happened? Why does it hurt so much? What do I do?''

    ''What do I do? Is this it? Is this all I can do? Just die?''

    If he could have pulled a single breath into his lungs, he was sure it would have been a sharp, fearful breath. But he couldn''t. His lungs felt as if they would collapse. His gaze sharpened despite their shaking, and he used one hand to try and lift himself along with the rope. His other hand traveled downwards, toward his leg.

    Lumi¨¨re reached into his boot immediately, retrieving the knife he had tucked into it prior and sliced in an arcing motion up above him. The sharpness of the blade sliced quickly through the rope, and Lumi¨¨re began to descend to the floor, relief and air flooding his lungs. Although, his eyes widened as lucidity returned to them. The shadows that had pooled at the edge of the room began to tremble, rushing towards him in droves.

    As soon as he was about to hit the stone floor, the room shifted around him. The creeping shadow lurched towards him, but as Lumi¨¨re found himself falling against the floor of a new room, the Gnosis began to glow brightly once more. The shadows hesitated for a single moment, almost fearful. To avoid the light, the shadows immediately scattered, tucking themselves back into the far corners of the room.

    When he glanced back up, his heart still pounding intensely, he found himself in the depths of a large open cavern. The only illumination was the dim glow of the Gnosis in his interior pocket.

    ''Ah, fuck. If I read it, won''t it stop illuminating? Then the shadow will start to creep back towards me...''

    Lumi¨¨re sat on the damp cavern floor, sifting through his thoughts. He clicked his tongue, and having come to a realisation, a grin curled up on his countenance.

    ''I''m not just a liar anymore, am I?''

    Lumi¨¨re reached out his hand and pulled his perfomer''s glove over it. As if he were still ''performing'', he then snapped his fingers. The sound echoed through the cavern, bit by bit as if repeating itself until the sound disappated in the distance. Then, a spark appeared in his palm. It curled upwards in a spiraling motion, and immediately, a bright silver flame began to burn in his hand, illuminating the space around him. His heart erupted with anxiety at the sight of the coloured flame, memories having been burnt into the forefront of his mind. For the moment, however, he abandoned his feelings and ignored his fear. He had realised it was a matter of survival. The labyrinth he had appeared in was no longer a strange dream.

    Having found an alternate source of illumination, Lumi¨¨re grasped the Gnosis with the other hand, flipping to the newly silver-glowing page. The text began to spread out once more, and Lumi¨¨re attentively eyed the text.

    ¡ª [Zone, Alpha-2.3]

    ¡ª [Class 7 Danger]

    ¡ª [Entity Count: High]

    ¡ª [Notable Hazards: Behind you, fool.]

    Lumi¨¨re''s heart stopped beating for a moment. All the muscles in his body tensed up. As a chill ran down his spine, he turned his neck slightly and glanced behind him out of the corner of his eye. A tall, lanky creature towered above him. Its skin was pale-white, and warm drool dripped from its agape mouth. It was missing half of its skull, which had been replaced by a plethora of fungi that seemed to thrive off of its mushy grey brain matter.

    The creature seemed to have no eyes or ears, and so it didn''t react to anything Lumi¨¨re had done. It just stood in place, its long toes spreading out onto the stone surface of the cavern, as if feeling its way around.

    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ''Fuck. Didn''t I initially fall into this zone? Did it feel the vibrations from my fall?''

    Lumi¨¨re forced calm into his heart, taking a deep breath.

    ''No... stone this thick shouldn''t offer much in way of vibration. I should just be cautious to back off slowly.''

    Lumi¨¨re slowly stood up, his eyes frozen on the form of the lanky creature in front of him. His gaze returned back to the Gnosis, and the black inky text began to twist, rewriting itself.

    ¡ª [Notable Hazards: Stalactites fall from the ceiling periodically. The creeping shadow is known to cause a loss in rationality. Furthermore, when surrounded by vast amounts of darkness, the malice of the shadow is heightened, causing it to grow a hunger for flesh. The cavern is filled with several creatures that have been taken over by the will of the fungi, which poses no threat to human biology. They become intensely violent when disturbed, but they all lack the ability to hear and see, as the fungi initially takes over their inner ear canals and optic nerves.

    As the glow of the silver flames fell away from the form of the lanky creature, the shadow around it began to churn. In an instant, the shadows enveloped the creature. Agonious screams rang out through the cavern, blood-curdling and inhuman. It sounded like the cries of several birds had been strained through several coarse cloths. Rather, the screams sounded as if the birds had been crushed in an industrial grinder. It was a terrifying, incomprehensible noise that nearly made Lumi¨¨re freeze on the spot. Soon after, however, the cries ceased. The creature had been silenced by the shadows. Countless thoughts began to race through Lumi¨¨re''s mind as he continued forward.

    ''Why did the shadows only attack that thing once the light fell away? Wouldn''t that have meant that without the presence of me, the creature was already living in darkness? Why didn''t the shadows attack him then?''

    ''Perhaps the light ''wakes up'' the shadows? Maybe in the absence of light for a period of time, they slumber? It''s just speculation, but I can assume it''s something alike to that.''

    He continued walking through the cavern and encountered several more creatures. He was careful to avoid them, but periodically, stalactites would fall from the ceiling. The force that sent them burrowing into the stone caused the creatures right next to them to erupt in a frenzy, bumping into each other and causing a chain reaction. Whenever disturbed, the creatures immediately became irrevocably violent, as if only death would calm them.

    As soon as the illumination of Lumi¨¨re''s silver flame fell away from them, their cries began to ring out in unison, like a cacaphony of agony. Only death would silence them. Whenever they would grow silent, a putrid scent would fill Lumi¨¨re''s nose, and an alarming sense of danger filled his body.

    ''It''s that ability to detect the presence of blood... it works, but it''s kind of annoying in this context... I already know there''s blood present. I don''t think it''s something I can just ''disable'' either.''

    Now that Lumi¨¨re had found his bearing and felt a little more confident in the situation despite his readiness, he began to sift through his endless thoughts.

    ''That man I saw in the Labyrinth''s gathering hall... he seemed incredibly familiar, as if I had already seen him countless times. Had I seen him in that dream? I''ve already forgotten most of its contents... He seemed to lure me towards him, not unlike that chair in the previous zone. Is it just a common theme in this place- to ignore sights that shouldn''t be seen by human eyes?''

    Lumi¨¨re let out an audible ''tsk'', unafraid that it would cause the mushroom creatures around him to frenzy. As long as no stalactites fell from the ceiling, they were amiable beasts, not unalike statues in the way they would stand nearly completely still. As long as there was no reason for them to move, they wouldn''t.

    He eventually came to a large stone building that pierced through the roof of the cavern, as if it had forcefully merged with the stalactite-filled roof. It had several arched windows along its surface, all seemingly boarded over from the inside. In its corner, there was a small door that had been pulled ajar, allowing an inviting warmth to creep out into the cold cavern atmosphere. Lumi¨¨re let out a calmed sigh, having relaxed his anxious heart. His muscles had tensed up so much previously that they felt as if they had snapped, and so his body felt intensely fatigued. Still, Lumi¨¨re cautiously trudged towards the open door and stepped inside the building.

    Immediately, he felt that it had been a mistake. The floorboard creaked underneath him, sending slight, unnoticeable tremors to erupt throughout the room. Inside the room''s interior, a dozen pale-white creatures with unidentifiable fungi growing out of their oozing grey brain matter stood, unmoving. As they felt the vibrations of the floor, however, their heads turned in unison towards the doorway where Lumi¨¨re stood.

    Lumi¨¨re let out an audible ''tsk'', knowing he had messed up. As the creatures rushed towards him, he stepped to the side.

    ''It''s like throwing a dove, isn''t it?''

    Lumi¨¨re hurled the bright silver flame in his hand towards the creature that rushed towards the doorway. Making contact with its dry pale skin, the beast caught on fire immediately, the flames spreading to every part of its body. It cried out in agony, and as if following the heat they sensed, the remaining creatures began to flock around the first creature as they rushed out of the building. Lumi¨¨re, still standing by the side, let out a relaxed sigh as he watched them gather outside the building.

    Then, he stepped inside. Verifying that no creatures remained inside the building, a grin crossed his expression.

    "Goodnight, dear beasts."

    He snapped his gloved fingers once more, and the flame that had been spreading throughout the creatures that seemed to pile on top of each other immediately ceased, cloaking the cavern outside in darkness. With the only illumination coming from the building, Lumi¨¨re closed the door shut. The creatures, sensing the vibrations of the door, lurched towards the building, but it had been too late. The shadows began to churn.

    Lumi¨¨re turned his attention towards the interior of the building. The stairs to the side had collapsed entirely, leaving the second floor inaccessible. On the other side of the room, a desk meant for an attendant to receive guests had been smashed inwards, leaving it nothing but slivers of wood on the floor. Lumi¨¨re''s gaze skipped past the destroyed ruins of the building''s interior and focused on the metal gate which lied opposite the entrance.

    ''An elevator? The show hall has one of them, but since it only leads down to the basement, I haven''t had a chance to operate it... why does the labyrinth have one. Moreover, why is it lying in the middle of such a spacious, dangerous cavern?''

    Suddenly, the Gnosis began to glow a faint silver once more, so Lumi¨¨re pulled it from his pocket and flipped to the new page. The text began to spread out on its surface.

    ¡ª It''s highly advisable that in the labyrinth, you seek an exit. Of course, you can just sit there and die. It''s probably the best fate for someone as detestable as you.

    Lumi¨¨re''s eyebrows furrowed in annoyance, but his gaze was directed back towards the elevator.

    ''Then is this... an exit?''

 Chapter 27: Memories of the Fated

    Lumi¨¨re pulled the metal gate away from the elevator¡¯s entrance, stepping inside before closing the gate back behind him. There was a lever mounted to a golden plate on the wall, and Lumi¨¨re instinctually reached out to pull it to the side. Almost instantly, the elevator began to lurch toward the direction the lever was pulled. With a sigh of relief, he stood in the centre of the elevator, enamoured by the experience of that interesting ¡®rising¡¯ feeling he had never encountered before. Lumi¨¨re glanced to the side of the elevator, staring at the metallic wall. His reflection seemed slightly warped in it, and instantly, Lumi¨¨re felt his heart drop. His reflection was missing the left half of his face. He reached up to feel his skin, and all he felt was the piercing warmth of his muscle tissue being open to the air. When he retracted his hand, his fingers were covered in a light film of crimson blood.

    Lumi¨¨re¡¯s entire figure seemed to grow illusory before his skin began to flake from his body like ashes. The flakes of his flesh burnt up in the air, leaving behind a thick smog that churned like a reddish-black miasma. He tried to move away from danger, but the bones of his legs were showing, and his feet had already vanished, so he toppled to the ground in a painful heap. He tried to suck in an anxious breath, but his lungs had already joined the thick cloud, leaving his chest a gaping mess of ribs that fractured into thin films of dust. He tried to see, but his eyes had left him.

    Lumi¨¨re tried desperately to be Lumi¨¨re, but his entire being had already faded, dissipating into the air. Soon, all that was left was an incurably cold darkness.

    ¡°What a little raven you are, to claw your way into my dreams.¡± A feminine, disembodied voice rang out.

    Suddenly, Lumi¨¨re was sure that he could see once more. He was sure that he could see a woman sitting at a cafe counter, holding a steaming mug in her hand as she turned her back towards Lumi¨¨re. She tilted her head, gazing at him out of the corner of her eye as she raised the mug toward her lips. A faint smile curled up on her expression. Then, all of a sudden Lumi¨¨re realised he could feel once more. However, when he glanced up, he noticed that the woman had disappeared, a streak of fluff wisping past.

    ¡°Well, if you¡¯re going to make me relive it, then you¡¯re welcome to follow. Hell, you can be me if you want. Maybe it¡¯ll be more interesting that way. That¡¯s what all the others say is fun, anyway.¡± The woman¡¯s voice rang out once more.

    The room began to shift- as if colour was being painted with a bristled brush all around him. The soft interiors of a sunlit cottage came into view. Plants sprouted from the rooftop, and sunlight shoen in from the windows. He sat on the edge of a bed, his feet dangling above the dark wooden floor.

    Lumi¨¨re saw the woman appear once more. She wore a bright yellow lacy dress. He saw the fullness of her round face face, which was pale in complexion. She had black lines like bristles on her face and a messy head of black hair. Her eyes were a bright blue, with pupils like slits. Moreover, peeking out from her hair-

    ¡®Are those¡­ cat ears?¡¯ Lumi¨¨re marvelled, confused yet enamoured.

    He reached out a hand towards her, but his soft, small hands made contact with a cold illusory surface.

    ¡®A¡­ mirror?¡¯

    Lumi¨¨re¡¯s thoughts began to race. He touched his hands to his face, and the reflection of the woman in the mirror copied his exact movements. He recoiled from the mirror, but his movement felt sluggish and weak. Looking down towards his abdomen, he realised his stomach had bulged outwards. His whole body felt intensely heavy.

    ¡®She¡¯s¡­ pregnant?¡¯ He thought, anxiety creeping up his skin. ¡®Have I become her, or is this some sort of illusion brought on by the labyrinth?¡¯

    Lumi¨¨re¡¯s eyes widened slightly. Suddenly, he felt a large force wrap around him from behind.

    ¡°Are you going to stand there staring at yourself in the mirror all day?¡± A gruff yet sultry voice rang out, seeming almost illusory.

    A man had begun to hug him from behind, and as he stared up at the man through the woman¡¯s eyes, his- rather, ¡®her¡¯ face lit up a bright crimson. Slowly, Lumi¨¨re felt himself acclimate to the point of view of the woman from her own eyes, and it began to feel as if he were simply watching a play take shape in front of him.

    ¡°Eh?¡± She felt the warmth of love embrace her- as if love was a hulking, haired beast with a beard that resembled a quilted blanket more than facial hair. The woman turned around to look up and smiled.

    ¡°Good morning, Kalum.¡± She spoke sleepily. Her cheeks flushed a bright red, and her heart felt elation staring at the man who was twice in size in comparison to her.

    ¡°Good morning, Aris.¡± He smiled in return. Without hesitation, he picked her up off of the bed, carrying her in his arms towards the dinner table. Because she was pregnant, he was loathe to let her do anything mundane herself, like walking to the table for breakfast. TO him, she was already doing enough, so he was happy to take care of her in the meanwhile.

    Despite his countenance, which seemed hefty, harsh, and fierce, his grip on her was gentle, as if he was fearful of bruising her skin. He set her down in the wooden chair he had carved for her at the end of the table, and then pulled his chair from the other end to sit down right beside her. Aris watched as Kalum settled into his seat. His seat was twice as large as hers, looking like a throne at their small table. He hunched over the table like a giant, and a smile crossing his face.

    ¡°Let¡¯s eat, then.¡± He spoke in a gruff tone of voice. ¡°Unless¡­ you¡¯re not hungry?¡±

    The fluffy ears on Aris¡¯s head shook a bit, and her expression took on an annoyed, pouting look.

    ¡°I¡¯m always hungry¡­¡± She shook her head. ¡°Don¡¯t joke like that with me.¡±

    Kalum just laughed loudly in response.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve cooked enough to sate your appetite, little dove.¡±

    There was a large white cloth covering the table, but despite it, Aris¡¯s enhanced senses could smell the scent of rich oils and charred vegetables underneath the tablecloth. A small strand of drool had already collected at the edge of her lips, and every nerve in her body was anxious to start eating. A quiet chuckle escaped her mouth as the imagery of foods crossed her mind, and nodding to Kalum, he pulled the tablecloth away from the table.

    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    Immediately, a large spread of delicacies came into view, and steam poured in droves into the open air. Charred bright-red tomatoes, steamed berries, and thinly-sliced cucumbers were set to the left. Two entire steamed fish, a dozen eggs fried in seed oil, black rice, and slightly-charred flatbread sat in the center. On the right, freshly-fermented yoghurt, chocolate cakes with light cream filling, and hand-pies filled with fruit sat waiting to be eaten ravenously.

    Aris looked over towards Kalum. Despite his looks, her husband was a master chef, in every single regard. Had Aris not stolen him away from his line of work, he was sure to have served some nobleman in a large fortress, make wealth in a culinary district of a large city, or run a profitable business. Still, he had chosen her above all of that.

    Kalum picked up a still-steaming iron kettle, pouring hot water into the cup beside Aris. The bottom of the cup had been filled with bright flower petals, which quickly seeped their flavours into the hot water. She took a sip, and the flower tea bathed her tongue in a pleasant sweetness.

    ¡°Go ahead and eat as much as you wish.¡± Kalum smiled. ¡°It¡¯s all been cooked just for you, so it would be a waste not to enjoy it thoroughly.¡±

    Aris¡¯s countenace lit up brightly, and without hesitation, she began to gather a plate of every delicacy. Her fork dug into the fish, which was gently salted, and still tasted of the creek beside their home- fresh and light. The charred tomatoes were rich, and spread atop the flatbread made it feel like an entirely new delicacy. When she bit into the chocolate cakes, warm cream spilled outwards onto her tongue, and the yoghurt was a wonderfully delicate balance of tartness and sweetness.

    ¡°Are you enjoying it well?¡± Kalum laughed. ¡°You¡¯ve spread half of the entire meal onto your cheeks.¡±

    He reached over, wiping the excess cream off of her lips with his thumb. With his other hand, he reached over, rustling her hair and rubbing her ears back against her head. Aris¡¯s face lit up a bright crimson colour, and ignoring her embarrassment, looked over towards Kalum¡¯s plate. He had not picked up a single of the delicacies laid out on the table, instead waiting for Aris to have her fill. Out of annoyance, she shook his hand away, and using her fork, began to place food onto his plate.

    ¡°How can I enjoy it well if you¡¯re not eating alongside me?¡± She huffed.

    After they had both eaten their fill, and shared the laughter of the morning¡¯s conversation, Kalum retrieved her coat from a rack on the cottage¡¯s wall that he too had carved. He slipped it over her shoulders, and helplessly, she was lifted up into his arms once more. They stepped out into the morning air, closing the heavy wooden door behind him. In the center of the veridian forest, a creek stretched through the clearing, surrounded by tall grass that waved in the gentle wind. A fence had been built alongside the cottage to facilitate a space for the growth of flowers. More often than not, Aris would tend to the flowerbed, but in her current state, Kalum had taken to caring for them. Under his touch, they had suddenly begun to flourish much more, and so she was both jealous and in admiration of his natural skill.

    Kalum¡¯s eyes drifted hesitantly towards the forest, but Aris¡¯s remained on the pretty sights.

    ¡°The sky is really pretty this time of year, isn¡¯t it?¡± Aris smiled softly.

    Aris looked back up towards Kalum, who held her tight in his arms. All she saw was bright crimson. The foul liquid mixture of brain matter and red blood dripped down Kalum¡¯s neck- the remnants of his head which had been splayed over the outer wall of their home.

    His hulking body toppled to his knees, still holding tight onto Aris. But, it was clear that his life had left him. The only thing keeping strength in his arms was the remnant will to hold her.

    Aris¡¯s eyes widened, her pupils shaking and a scream hanging at the edge of her lips- caught up along with her breath. The sky began to churn like bloody flames. Clouds became wisps of smoke, and the blue sapphire colour above was replaced with crimson.

    Nine blurry figures gathered around her, but as they stepped closer, one of the figure''s facial features became clearer. He was a young boy with a slightly-malnourished countenance, and eyes that seemed as if they transcended time.

    Standing in front of the other eight figures, a man with bright red hair and black eyes held a hand up to his face, gazing ruefully at the mixture of greyish-red liquid that dripped from his fingers. There was a bright-red mass in his palm that writhed about madly. It resembled the shape of a child, slightly-malformed. The man made a fist, and instantly, the child-shaped creature was crushed between his fingers. The young boy beside him watched the event, and despite being in league with him, began to shake slightly with apprehension.

    ¡°The child of a sinner cannot be allowed to live.¡± The man with red hair grinned maniacally.

    Looking down, Aris realised that her abdomen had been clawed open. In an instant, Kalum¡¯s head had been cleaved from his neck, and her child had been stolen away from her body. Her pupils shook out of horror, and not even a scream could escape her lips. Still held in the arms of her husband, who had grown stiff and cold, she watched silently as the nine figures vanished from the sky, leaving streaks of red staining the clouds.

    {¡°Will you accept this much?¡±}

    Countless murmurs erupted around Aris, like a cacophony of voices layered atop each other. Her sight had begun to darken, and so she listened as the murmurs in the distance continued on.

    {¡°Will you accept this development? Will you accept this slight? Will you accept these sins?¡±}

    {¡°Can you sin? Will you seek revenge? Will you kill them all? Despite not being able to gain anything back, will you destroy the world they love?¡±}

    One more line rang out amidst the murmurs. The voice deepened slightly, as if it had grown intensely serious.

    {¡°For power, for the ability to destroy them- will you accept me?¡±}

    Hoarsely, without thinking about it for a moment, Aris spoke out.

    ¡°Let me kill them¡­ I¡¯ll resign my soul to hell.¡±

    The scene around the woman began to shift. A thick blackish-red miasma engulfed the sky, and the landscape became a hellish landscape of destroyed structures, a sky of red smog, and brackish black trees that resembled craggy monoliths. It was obvious that countless time had passed. Aris had recovered from the wounds she had incurred in previous scenes. Instead of the bright yellow lacy dress, she wore a midnight-black cloak with a hood that covered her still, emotionless expression. She raised her hand, and floating over the hellish scene, she spoke.

    ¡°Aspect: Gluttony.¡±

    Her voice rang out, layered like several uninhibited cries of distant people experiencing agony.

    In an instant, ¡®she¡¯ consumed all. ¡®She¡¯ consumed the fates, memories, and hopes of others. Nations had crumbled underneath ¡®her¡¯ gaze, and their citizens had known the agony of not only their beings, but the memory of them being consumed by ¡®her¡¯.

    Aris swallowed the world, and so only the cosmos took image around ¡®her¡¯. The nine figures stood before ¡®her¡¯, but soon they too were consumed, the last expressions they held being ones of fear, anxiety, and despair.

    ¡®She¡¯ consumed time, and so the stars stopped glistening, stuck forever in brightness. When ¡®she¡¯ turned her gaze towards the cosmos,

    ¡®Her¡¯ child was taken from ¡®her¡¯ by them. It was a crime against the nature of humanity, of the nature of mothers and their children. ¡®Her¡¯ yearning grew to endless mad lengths, to want to repair that carnal need to protect ¡®her¡¯ child. ¡®She¡¯ grew to want everything in return for what had been done to ¡®her¡¯, to balance the scales - she was gluttonous for revenge, to repair all that had been done to ¡®her¡¯.

    All ¡®she¡¯ felt was the madness of vengeance.

    Before ¡®she¡¯ could turn her attention towards the cosmos, three brightly-glowing blurry figures appeared before ¡®her¡¯. In an instant, the burgeoning flame within ¡®her¡¯ heart was extinguished, and the life faded from ¡®her¡¯ eyes.

    Lumi¨¨re felt his gaze return to his natural body, and so he felt as normal as he had previously. There was no crimson miasma, no strange worldview, and no inconsistencies in his form. There was an inconsolable fear churning in his heart. Having witnessed the scenes of carnage from the point of view of an unstoppable force, he couldn¡¯t help but retch, his form violently convulsing as he was suspended in darkness.

 Chapter 28: Gluttony

    After abating his nausea, Lumi¨¨re glanced upwards and saw that the woman, Aris, stood apart from him with a smile on her face. She had been reaching her hand out gently. His whole body tensed up, and his eyebrows furrowed.

    ¡°What is this- an invitation?¡±

    Lumi¨¨re reached out his hand as he straightened himself up, hesitantly taking her hand in his.

    ¡°Aris Sevant.¡± She spoke with that same smile.

    ¡°Ah¡­ Lumi¨¨re Croft.¡± He said nervously in response.

    ¡°I know.¡±

    ¡°Is this all¡­ real?¡±

    Aris nodded in response. There was a slight pain in her gaze.

    ¡°They¡¯ll try and find you too, I¡¯m sure. It¡¯s how we always die.¡± The familiar feminine voice spoke out, seeming illusory as the words hung in the air. ¡°The others will tell you that much too¡­¡±

    ¡°The others?¡± Lumi¨¨re questioned.

    ¡°You¡¯ll encounter the rest of us. I just happened to be the first, for some reason.¡± Aris chuckled. ¡°We are ¡®his¡¯ chosen few. We are all sinners.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re¡¯s brow twitched slightly. He did not know of the grand and lofty ¡®he¡¯ that Aris had been referring to, but upon the mention of a ¡®sinner¡¯, it all started to make a slight bit of sense. He was inducted into the labyrinth for that exact reason- because he too was a sinner.

    ¡°How can I avoid them?¡± Lumi¨¨re asked of her hurriedly. ¡°Those people¡­¡±

    He spoke questioningly, but he too was wondering if he could avoid the woman in front of him as well. His mind was a constant balancing of the deeds that he had witnessed. She had destroyed the world he had seen, but too had she been the victim of extreme malice. Given power, he wondered if it was inevitable that she snapped. Standing before him, she seemed her former self, rather than the emotionless latter. His heart relaxed slightly, and he became less hesitant to converse with her.

    ¡°The Rememberers.¡± Aris smiled. ¡°They hate us a little bit, I think. Our Lord probably messed with them somehow. We always have to deal with them in some form. Sometimes they pretend to be our friends, comrades, or even family. No matter what, however, they always kill us.¡±

    ¡°Wait- so you¡¯re not¡­?¡±

    ¡°Alive? No, not in the slightest. But I¡¯m not quite dead, either. Consider it a boon of our Lord.¡± She winked. ¡°We all sit here and wait for new little ravens like you to fly in.¡±

    Her gaze fell a bit blank for a moment, but soon her expression turned serious.

    ¡°The Rememberers- their countenances and mannerisms are usually the same, but their names and positions in society change often. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve already met a few of them. They might even be your closest friends. You have to be quite wary of the Rememberers. They¡¯re immortal, but only in memory. You can kill them, but they will remember you. They only ever appear once in your lifetime, so as long as you can somehow rid yourself of all nine of them, I think you¡¯ll be able to live quite a happy life.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask for any of that trouble.¡±

    ¡°But surely, you have something you desire, don¡¯t you? In exchange for this menial war between Sinner and Rememberer, now you have the strength to shape the world how you wish.¡± Aris smiled.

    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Strength?¡±

    ¡°Eventually, we realised ¡®he¡¯ had given us power. He had given us the power to be sinners. And so, we were. So are you.¡±

    ¡°I have power as you do? Like in that memory?¡± Lumi¨¨re asked in a horrified tone of voice.

    ¡°We¡¯re hoping you¡¯ll be different. We¡¯re watching with anticipation. But, whatever you choose to do with your life, it¡¯s none of our business. We¡¯re fated to destroy the world. Not one of us has ever been able to part with cruel destiny, so it just means you¡¯ll join us eventually. ¡®He¡¯ has already placed a seat at the table for you in that event.¡±

    ¡°The table? Do you mean that curved table at the end of the long stone hallway? The one that overlooks that throne?¡±

    Aris just smiled in return.

    Sighing inwardly, Lumi¨¨re set forth another question.

    ¡°If this ¡®history¡¯ is real, how can it be possible? The world was destroyed, and yet, in reality, my world still stands.¡±

    Aris shrugged slightly.

    ¡°Who knows? Perhaps we¡¯re from two different worlds, or someone is messing with time.¡± Aris laughed. ¡°The only thing I know of that links us is our Lord.¡±

    ¡°Our Lord?¡±

    A grin curved up Aris¡¯s lips. Her eyes seemed to glow slightly, and her tail began to twirl softly behind her. The space around them seemed to darken, and a pair of bright violet eyes were visible from the shadow.

    ¡°He is the Grandest and most Ancient Sin, the Prince of the Dark Cosmos, the Father of Lies and Deceit, and the Eldest Serpent who rests in the Shadow. He is-¡° Aris stopped speaking, a fit of coughing erupting through her body as blood was spat out into the air.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Lumi¨¨re asked hurriedly.

    ¡°Ah- yes, sorry. It¡¯s hard to speak his true name without- well, dying- not that it really matters. You can just call him¡­¡± Aris paused for a moment, considering her thoughts before grinning. ¡°You can call him ¡®The Sinner¡¯.¡±

    ¡°We are his primordial sins, and so we serve his will, which is to live. He has no grand expectations for us, and so we just live as we want to- at least, that is what Mr. Sand said we should do. I¡¯ve been named ¡®Gluttony¡¯, and have been allowed a seat at the table. You¡¯re now the same.¡± Aris smiled, extending her hand once more. ¡°Welcome to our ranks, Despair.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re heard the tense cries of birds in the distance. Instantly, a thousand ravens materialised in the dark space, diving towards the ground before colliding with it in thick splashes of black blood. His form was enveloped in a black cloak of raven feathers, and his hair became stained in midnight-black. It was the form of ¡®Despair¡¯.

    ¡°If you ever want to use the powers our Lord has bestowed to you, you just have to say something strange- like ¡®Despair¡¯ or whatever, kind of like I did. Ah- you can also borrow my power if you want! It won¡¯t be as strong as what you saw, since I spent a hundred years practicing with it, but-¡°

    Lumi¨¨re¡¯s eyebrows furrowed in apprehension, and Aris chuckled nervously, shaking her hand to avert the suggestion. He had no desire to swallow the world, so it was likely something he would ignore if he could. Still, the flashes of memory he could remember began to make sense. It all surrounded that phrase- ¡®despair¡¯. It had been the moment he had lost his lucidity when the rat man had attacked the monastery, and when he had regained himself, it was when the rat man had died. It was the showcase of a terrifying, strange power.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s nice to meet you, Gluttony,¡± Lumi¨¨re said. A serious expression settled on his face, and he reached out his hand in turn.

    As Lumi¨¨re accepted her hand, he swore that he could see the illusory outlines of seven figures behind her. Behind them all, the shadow with bright glowing eyes seemed to look down on them fiercely. The entire space was cloaked in an aura of mystery and terror.

    ¡°Ah, they¡¯re getting restless. They want to meet the new kid too. Especially Lust- he likes men like you.¡± Aris winked. ¡°I think your time in the labyrinth is coming to a close, however. There¡¯s only so much time for us to talk to you.¡±

    Aris¡¯s eyes widened, and she clapped her hands together in realisation.

    ¡°I get it! We always visited the labyrinth every time we got stronger! They''ll probably be able to meet you soon, then.¡± Aris grinned excitedly. ¡°Poe said it was something about our connection to the Great Truth during those transitioning moments that throws us into its depths. He¡¯s so smart, isn¡¯t he?¡±

    Aris marvelled excitedly, but Lumi¨¨re¡¯s gaze began to shake as he listened to her.

    ¡®Poe¡­?¡¯

    ¡°Well, I think that¡¯s all the time we have.¡± Aris sighed, placing her hands against her waist as she turned to look at the bright stars in the distance. ¡°The others also want to meet you, so it¡¯ll be some time before we see each other again. As long as Lord Sinner convenes a gathering, though, I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be able to talk once more. I¡¯ll look forward to whichever comes first.¡±

    Aris turned to look at Lumi¨¨re with bright eyes, and a kind, excited smile crossed her face. Instantly, the space around Lumi¨¨re began to churn.

 Chapter 29: Mr. Sand

    As the space around Lumi¨¨re shifted, his eyes shook fiercely, his thoughts racing.

    ¡®Did she say¡­ Poe?¡¯

    There was no time for him to ponder on the matter, however. The blackness of the cosmos immediately reformed into a vast, incorrigible void. Before he could suck in a breath, three massive violet eyes layered like a triangle opened before him. He couldn¡¯t perceive their height, for they stretched a distance larger than planets before him. If the great being wasn¡¯t a sizeable distance away, he was unsure if he would even been able to gauge that there were three of them. The grand being¡¯s skin was a thick, constantly writhing mass of hardened grey flesh, almost like sand that had been tainted by the presence of liquid and ash. In the distance, massive and countless black tentacles writhed about.

    ¡°Ah- are you¡­ the one that summoned me here!?¡± Lumi¨¨re called out. His voice didn¡¯t seem to sound out through the void, but the being in front of him reacted regardless- as if he could peer straight into Lumi¨¨re¡¯s mind to glean his intentions.

    {¡°I am not.¡± }

    The being¡¯s voice was illusory and echoed out endlessly into the void. It was neither the voice of a man nor a woman alone, rather like the voices of thousands of men, women, children, and elderly stacked atop each other like a cacophony of human presence.

    Lumi¨¨re tried to settle the feelings in his heart, but still they raged- anxiety, fear, and horror all churned within him. Still, he kept up the pretense- or at least he tried to look as calm as he could.

    ¡°Are you the one Ms. Gluttony called ¡®The Sinner¡¯?¡±

    His voice didn¡¯t sound out into the cosmos, but he was sure that his point had gotten across to the great being despite that.

    {¡°I am the emissary of our Lord. I speak for him- in his absence.¡±}

    ¡°The Lord Sinner is absent?¡±

    {¡°That is an- insignificant detail.¡±}

    With every response the great being gave, writhing black tentacles would slither in the far distance. A little humoured, Lumi¨¨re gave it a curt response.

    ¡°You¡¯re kind of cute.¡±

    The writhing tentacles shook a bit, waving back and forth like countless tails. It was like a dog wagging after receiving head scratches. Its massive three eyes blinked periodically, always staggered and out of sync.

    {¡°Do you have-¡°} It spoke once more, {¡°-any questions for me? The Lord has asked me to answer- any questions.¡±}

    By now, the fear in Lumi¨¨re¡¯s heart had faded. Still, the intense pressure of looking at such a being gave Lumi¨¨re the sense of wanting to faint immediately, and he had to focus intensely to keep his lucidity about himself.

    ¡°You¡¯re associated with Thomas Hawthorne, aren¡¯t you? I believe he¡¯s mentioned the ¡®emissary¡¯ before. I wish to know your name. If we serve the same Lord, then we¡¯re now like colleagues.¡±

    {¡°If I could understand humour, I¡¯m sure that would- be funny.¡±}

    The grand being blinked once more, but after several seconds had elapsed, as if it was slowly recalling the information, it spoke once more.

    {¡°I am Oneiros, the bequeather- of the sands, the one who serves the Lord Dreamer, and the one who serves- the Lord Sinner. You can call me Mr. Sand.¡±}

    ¡°You serve two Lords? Does that not make you two-faced?¡±

    {¡°They are brothers. Does sharing- with your brother make you- enemies?¡±}

    Lumi¨¨re tilted his head in deference to his point.

    ¡°Why have you chosen to meet with me now?¡± Lumi¨¨re asked of him. ¡°Is it because it is my first visit? Are you the welcoming party for me?¡±

    {¡°This isn¡¯t- your first visit. You aren¡¯t like he said- you would be.¡±} Mr. Sand replied, his speech still slightly fractured. {¡°He said you would- be scared. He said you would Despair.¡±}

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    Lumi¨¨re smiled slightly, his left leg falling behind his right as he bowed towards the great being within the darkness. As soon as he had peeked out of the corner of his eye, he had seen the bright star within the abyss of churning shadow. He knew then that he had been outside of the labyrinth. Mr. Sand had been the source of the eyes within the darkness, and of the murmurs he had been hearing constantly. The invitation had been Lord Sinner¡¯s, but it had been Thomas and Oneiros, Mr. Sand, who had delivered it to him. He was the emissary of the Lord, after all.

    ¡°I¡¯ve despaired too much. I¡¯ve decided to become the light instead.¡±

    {¡°Is this your refusal of his invitation, despite- having used his power?¡±}

    Lumi¨¨re shook his head in response.

    ¡°I¡¯ll carry our Lord¡¯s sins, and fulfill his contract¡¯s terms, but I will live my life as I wish. That is why you will never see me despair.¡±

    {¡°Gluttony was fated to sate her appetite. You- you will probably destroy- everything too.¡±}

    Mr. Sand¡¯s words shook Lumi¨¨re, but he kept a pretense of calm about him as he bowed once more towards the great being.

    ¡°Sorry, Mr. Sand, but I¡¯ve places that I need to be. I ask that you send me on my way now. If you¡¯ve further things to relay to me from Lord Sinner, then I ask that you seek me out on further visits to the Labyrinth.¡±

    {¡°You are funny. Lord Sinner should- have given you the name ¡®Humour¡¯ instead.¡±}

    With a sinister wave of his tentacles, Lumi¨¨re¡¯s body began to be swallowed by the abyss, drifting down towards the ground in a slow descent. He watched as the eyes the size of planets grew farther and farther away, and soon he had been enveloped in the darkness around him.

    Lumi¨¨re had already parsed the information received from Ms. Gluttony. It had become clear to him that he would be able to revisit the strange and bloodthirsty labyrinth after he had grown stronger. In relation to what that meant, he had begun to suspect that the spade card was the reason for his first visit. Only when receiving it had he been granted a base level of sorcery- a new dove in the world of mysticism and magic. Right after gaining knowledge of its power had been the moment he had been thrust into the labyrinth. It wasn¡¯t confirmed, but Lumi¨¨re¡¯s operating suspicion was that upon receiving the spade card labelled the ¡®Two of Spades¡¯, he would reappear within the Labyrinth once more.

    ¡®Shit. I should¡¯ve asked him why the labyrinth is so dangerous. Why would it make sense for a gathering of Sinners to require their elaborate survival?¡¯

    Lumi¨¨re reached up to grasp at the shadow, but in an instant, it had been replaced by the chirping of distant birds. He found himself in a garden of bright veridian flora, of flowers with white petals, and of marble structures. Iron-wrought benches lined a opalescent stone pathway leading up to a giant and intricately carved marble door blanketed in moss. In the center of the door, in place of a doorknob or latch, a small rectangular insert sat. Lumi¨¨re ignored the environment around him, and anxious to return home, he stepped up towards the doorway. Immediately, an object in his pocket began to glow a bright silver, pulsing as if it had a heartbeat of his own. Reaching into his coat pocket, Lumi¨¨re pulled out a small rectangular object with the imagery of a shadowy figure cradling a spade within his arms.

    Without hesitation, Lumi¨¨re placed the card into the door¡¯s insert. The silver glow began to spread throughout the intricate carvings in the door, and slowly, a large churning sound erupted throughout the garden, silencing the chirps of the birds. The door swung open, and the card fell to the ground, on the floor outside of the garden. Although, the room on the opposite end of the garden clearly didn¡¯t match. He could spot that past the door, a long stone hallway stretched towards a large room, where a half-circle table spread around an ornate high-back throne. In the chairs encircling the table, eight figures whose faces, apart from the two at the far left end, were blurry and unrecognisable. They didn¡¯t seem to notice Lumi¨¨re, and were caught up in conversation between themselves.

    ¡®Are those¡­ the Sinners? Then, is that throne where the Lord sits? Since he¡¯s absent, it¡¯s empty¡­¡¯

    Lumi¨¨re stepped through the doorway leading from the garden, picking up the card that had dropped to the floor. Yet, when he raised his head with the intent to greet the Sinners in the gathering room, he found himself in his bedroom once more, as if he had just stepped out from the monastery hall¡¯s door.

    Lumi¨¨re let out an audible ¡®tsk¡¯ and turned to sit at the edge of his bed.

    ¡®Should I have asked about this card too? If it was meant to be a key to the labyrinth, and it was implied that the other Sinners had once traversed the labyrinth, then shouldn¡¯t they have seen these cards at some point?¡±

    Lumi¨¨re placed the spade card back in his coat pocket and took out Poe¡¯s Gnosis, which had begun to glow a dull silver colour. He stared at the black inky symbol on its surface, of an intricate tree with a snake curling around its trunk.

    ¡®Is Poe a ¡®sin¡¯ too? Is that why he decided to help me? What about Thomas? Is he a Sin?¡¯

    He immediately recalled the form of the man sitting at the long circular table he had seen when he first entered the labyrinth. He had black hair tinged with grey, and deep black eyes that seemed as vast as the cosmos.

    ¡®Was that man Poe? Then, this book really is his¡­¡¯

    ¡®I wonder then¡­ are those marks¡­ from the Sinners?¡±

    Lumi¨¨re pulled the book open to the first page, where the familiar lone line sat.

    ¡ª Welcome to horror, thou who art a sinner. This journal is your lament. This journal is your haven. This journal is you.

    Seven thumbprints marked in blood lined up underneath the single line. Quickly, Lumi¨¨re bit into the flesh of his thumb, sending a droplet of blood dripping down the length of his wrist. Then, he pressed his thumb against the parchment, another mark fresh alongside the others. Instantly, he felt a cold chill run down his body, and the Gnosis began to glow a brighter silver colour. Underneath the singular line, another began to form out of thick, writhing black ink.

    - Bound to the Sinner, Despair.

    A cold feeling of despair grasped at Lumi¨¨re¡¯s heart in an instant. His body froze, and his bones felt the chill of a frozen winter that did not exist.

    Instantly, as fear washed over him, his shadow began to churn.

 Chapter 30: Three of Hearts

    ¡®Shit, I let my emotions get out of control. Did it wake up that monster in my shadow!?¡¯

    Large waves of shadow rose around Lumi¨¨re in an instant, massive incountable tendrils rising up from the ground. He immediately sprang to action, pulling his glove over his hand as he fell backwards, away from the shadow. In an instant, his lips parted, and he shouted a phrase that hung in the silent air.

    ¡°Ignici¨®n!¡±

    Bright silver flames burst up from his palm, veiling the room in a bright, incandescent light. The shadows shrunk back for a moment, and that had been enough time for Lumi¨¨re to reach into his jacket pocket, procuring the music box that had been given to him by the grand being within the House of Cards, the Joker. He fell on his back, but he ignored the pain that shot up through his body and lifted it into the air, twisting the small ratchet lever on its outer surface. Immediately, soothing chimes began to pluck after colliding with the interior workings of the music box, and a serene tune filled the air. The shadows that had been hurtling towards Lumi¨¨re halted in place, and seemed to shiver with fatigue as they listened to the tune.

    The shadows gradually began to dissipate, pooling inside of Lumi¨¨re¡¯s natural shadow as they fell into a deep slumber.

    ¡®There are too many dangers that come with this. I need to stop walking around with nothing on my person. I¡¯ll retrieve my sword from the Fencer¡¯s Gathering, and later see if I can¡¯t procure a suitable firearm from that House of Cards¡­ surely in such a secretive place, there¡¯s bound to be illegal dealings.¡¯

    After he had calmed down, wasting no time, he adorned his black tailcoat and a flat cap before walking out of the door of the monastery. He made his way up Cobbler¡¯s Street and passed Etten-Leur, where billowing steam and the sound of machinery resounded throughout its surroundings. He started to ascend the flowering secretive steps that led up to the middle borough, but an oddly familiar sight caught his eye.

    A glowing rabbit ran alongside Lumi¨¨re, quickly overtaking his pace and ascending the steps to the middle borough. It stopped in its tracks high above him, turning to look at the magician with a piercing blue gaze. As he stared at the rabbit, countless hazy memories were dragged from a safe locked away in his mind. A tense, dull fear crept up his skin, and his eyebrows furrowed out of suspicion.

    ''What are you? A repeating rabbit? Why do you keep showing up? What do you want? What do you mean? Are you another inconsistency? A product of the labyrinth? Or are you just an illusion? Who could be messing with me like this?''

    Soon, he had made his way through the middle borough towards Orulinde Street, clearing past events from his mind, and focusing on the present before him. He showed off his card to the door¡¯s attendant, Osiris, and entered the House of Cards which had been shrouded in morning mist. Ignoring the gathering of people through the building, he walked over to the right side of the hall immediately.

    Lumi¨¨re sat down at the bar to the side of the House of Cards, noting the presence of several figures he had seen before. They all had the familiar pupil marks of varying likenesses, and outfits that resembled Dwindlers, adventurers, and business magnates. His gaze turned towards the bar¡¯s attendant, who had been cleaning a glass with a rag, eyeing him as if waiting for his order. Alternative to the attendant¡¯s expectations, however, Lumi¨¨re leaned in slightly, bringing forth his attention before speaking.

    ¡°I need to acquire a weapon. Do you know anyone here who would be best to seek out?¡±

    Lumi¨¨re had learned from Constantine, the leader of the Blackfeather Group, that bars were the best spots to gather information in. Whether seeking out business that would occur behind closed doors, seeking out people, or seeking jobs, those that would gather in places of drink and merriness were sure to know such things. Although, oftentimes when it came to matters that weren¡¯t so legal, one needed connections to the party being inquired into, to avoid suspicions of being affiliated with the peace keepers. So, without any semblance of connection without going through Constantine, whom he was sure had busied himself too much to go along with Lumi¨¨re¡¯s schemes, Lumi¨¨re had made his way to the House of Cards. The mysterious gathering within the building cloaked in mist seemed devoid of any lawfulness, and now as an official member- a card holder, he was sure he was privy to take part in any business that might occur.

    Before the attendant behind the counter could respond, however, a man sitting in the seat beside Lumi¨¨re let out a soft chuckle.

    ¡°A weapon? Is that all you¡¯re going to say? What kind of weapon? If it¡¯s a gun, what caliber? If it¡¯s a knife, what kind of knife are you looking for? How well do you want to conceal the weapon? Will you be killing animals, people, or looking for a general sense of self-defense? Are you a fool, or just new to business here?¡±

    Lumi¨¨re¡¯s eyebrow twitched slightly, and his expression grew baffled. Still, he was hesitant to give up his hand, so he didn¡¯t hesitate to present himself in a calm, collected light in front of the man. Despite his lack of knowledge, he was a formidable liar.

    ¡°A 1911 model, .45 caliber. I need an underarm holster to go along with it.¡± Lumi¨¨re spoke confidently, leaning in towards the man.

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    Of course, he knew nothing of what he was talking about. He had heard Constantine spout some terms in their conversations, so he readily used them here.

    ¡°Ah, it makes sense. Often my clients ask for the same thing. To only have access to one bullet at a time, you would want that bullet to do as much damage as possible, so you would want something capable of arming the most powerful rounds.¡± The man nodded with a sense of assurance. ¡°I can sell you that much, but we¡¯ll have to adjourn to a private room. It¡¯s a bit strange to do business like this out in the open.

    Lumi¨¨re nodded in understanding, and before long, they had adjourned from the bar. On a wall opposite the bar, at the far end of the hall, an attendant stood beside multiple doors, of which two were open. Without speaking to the attendant, the man nodded in confirmation, and the attendant stepped aside to allow them to waltz through the door. Within the House of Cards, there were several private rooms that one could use to wait for the arrival of the Joker, discuss secretive matters, or conduct business without the scrutiny of the crowd within the hall.

    ¡°What card are you?¡± The man asked in passing, shutting the door behind them.

    ¡°I¡¯m One of Spades.¡± Lumi¨¨re spoke tersely, criticising the man¡¯s demeanor as he eyed him. He also looked around the room slightly. There was an ornate square table in the center of the room, and two satin chairs on either end of it. There were no windows within the room, and it was alight with the gentle glow of electric lighting on the ceiling. The door that the man stood by was his only escape in the event of conflict. Lumi¨¨re took a seat, but he failed to relax in the slightest.

    "One of Spades?" The man marveled. "A heretic? Hah... good luck with that."

    The man sat down in the seat across from Lumi¨¨re. He then looked up towards Lumi¨¨re, and a curt smile crossed his face.

    "It''s nice to meet you, kid." He spoke in a gruff, confident tone as he extended his hand in greeting. "I''m Three of Hearts, an alchemist."

    ¡®Alchemist? Is that the special domain of the heart cards? What exactly does that imply, though? Will he turn coal to gold in front of me to prove it?¡±

    Lumi¨¨re shook the amusing thought from his head and began to inquire.

    ¡°You have the ability to acquire a firearm for me?¡± Lumi¨¨re inquired, leaning back in his seat as he rested his head on his hand.

    Three of Hearts nodded succinctly. Without speaking another word, he pulled open his coat, revealing a multitude of firearms hanging from its interior. The chain of a pocketwatch hung from an interior pocket, and several holsters held guns against his person. The man shuffled through the assortment of weapons, and locating what he was looking for, unstrapped the holster and handed it over to Lumi¨¨re.

    ¡°It¡¯s unloaded, but you should still be careful.¡± Three of Hearts smiled genially. ¡°A 1911 model, .45 caliber. Precisely what you were looking for.¡±

    Accepting it, Lumi¨¨re slipped the firearm out of its holster. There were intricate floral patterns on the silver-gleaming slide, and on the grip, there were intricately carved runes.

    ¡°It¡¯s been engraved with my runes. Something special I¡¯ve been working on recently. This is the first I¡¯ve thought particularly decent enough to release. When a minute has elapsed without a bullet being loaded into the chamber, it will automatically load one for you. It¡¯s a decent way to get past governmental restrictions. You have to name it for the runes to take effect, however. It¡¯s alike to contracting, in a way. The gun becomes yours after you name it.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re raised the gun towards the wall, shutting his left eye and narrowing his right as he aimed its sights down.

    ¡°I¡¯ll name it ¡®Cerces¡¯.¡±

    Immediately, the gun felt weightier. Lumi¨¨re could tell that it now contained a singular bullet, a slightly almost unnoticeable weight present within it.

    "Strange name for a gun." Three of Hearts noted with humour in his tone.

    "Do I not seem a strange man?"

    Lumi¨¨re had decided to put on a cold, calm front the moment he had first walked through the door of the House of Cards. It was partly why he had chosen to brazenly approach the Joker so casually.

    "No, I suppose you''re right." Three of Hearts chuckled. ¡°The gun itself will be two Len Notes, and the holster for it will be ten Lune.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re¡¯s eyebrows twitched instinctively. His salary for the week amounted to thirty Lune. Two Len notes and ten Lune was equivalent to two months of his salary. He let out a quiet sigh, lamenting for having proceeded without knowledge. He could have asked one of Constantine¡¯s underlings about such topics, and now he was set to look like a fool.

    ¡°Can you put this on hold for me?" Lumi¨¨re grimaced slightly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you need this immediately?¡±

    ¡°Eh? How do you figure that?"

    "A man like you doesn''t come strolling in to illegally purchase a weapon for leisurely purposes. You''re trying to defend yourself in some manner, aren''t you?"

    Lumi¨¨re was silent in response, a bit bewildered by the man''s unraveling of his motivations.

    "Well, I won''t pry into why you''re purchasing it. That''s neither my business, nor the business I run."

    A slight grin spread up Three of Heart''s face.

    "How would you like to carry that weapon out of here today?"

    "Would I accrue a debt to you in the process?"

    "Without any sizeable interest."

    "No interest? What''s the bright side for you, to gamble an inability to recoup the cost?" Lumi¨¨re questioned him suspiciously.

    "You will recoup the cost by all means." The grin on Three of Heart''s face was still present, almost demeaning of Lumi¨¨re''s confused expression.

    "How can you guarantee that?"

    Without responding, Three of Hearts immediately pulled a thin blade from his pocket. Lumi¨¨re recoiled slightly, his hand drifting over to the saber on his hip. Yet, instead of brandishing the blade against him, Three of Hearts began to dig into the flesh of his inner arm with the blade. Thin droplets of crimson blood streaked down his arm, pooling at the edge of his wrist. Three of hearts then dipped his finger in his own blood, and using it as if it were paint, began to scrawl an insignia onto his skin. A slanted cross, three diagonal lines, and two intersecting mountain peaks formed within a circle on his skin like permanent ink. It began to glow a faint green colour, along with the mark on his wrist, that resembled an eye with a pupil like a chalice.

    "The signatory will suffer a cut to the cheek if they do not utter a word in the next five seconds." Three of Hearts spoke aloud.

    Then, looking at Lumi¨¨re, his finger began to tap slowly along with the ticking of his pocketwatch. One, two, three, four, and five seconds passed. Suddenly, he winced slightly, and blood began to trickle down his cheek. Still, he kept a grin upon his expression, and began to speak once more.

    "Make a contract with me." Three of Hearts offered to Lumi¨¨re. "The rune will ensure your side of the bargain is fulfilled at all costs."

 Chapter 31: A contract formed by blood

    It was dangerous. Far too dangerous for Lumi¨¨re to interfere with. Still, countless thoughts began to race through his head

    "What are the terms?" Lumi¨¨re asked of him.

    "I''ll need to advance my own abilities soon. I hope you can help me find the individual named ''Four of Hearts''. I would like to make a deal with him. All you need to do is locate him for me, and offer him my services. That will be the price in exchange for the firearm, One of Spades." Three of Hearts winked.

    "That''s all?"

    "That is really all." Three of Hearts shrugged.

    "This place is filled with greed and cunning."

    "So?"

    "So how can I believe what you say?"

    Lumi¨¨re suddenly pulled the slide back on the firearm, pointing it at Three of Heart''s head. His gaze was fierce and wild, but Three of Heart''s grin didn''t dissipate in the slightest.

    "Add a clause to the contract." Lumi¨¨re spoke coldly. Despite his demeanor, every muscle in his body had the gnawing urge to start trembling. The act that he was putting on as the ''One of Spades'' was so outwardly unlike him that even his body almost failed to comply.

    "That being?" Three of Hearts questioned.

    "Stake your death on conforming to the contract." Lumi¨¨re replied, his expression and weapon unmoved.

    "You''ve turned into a spikey person so suddenly, little dove. It''s enough to make me emotional- I may just cry." Three of Hearts joked.

    Suddenly, Three of Hearts stood up from his seat. Lumi¨¨re stumbled backwards, but Three of Hearts advanced, pinning Lumi¨¨re against the seat behind him, the muzzle of the gun pressed up against his forehead. Yet, the grin on his face was prevalent. He grabbed a handful of Lumi¨¨re''s hair and pulled him in even closer. Lumi¨¨re grimaced, eyeing the man with a look of spite and confusion.

    "So, will you pull the trigger?" Three of Hearts asked.

    Lumi¨¨re''s eyes shimmered with hesitation. He furrowed his brows, and unable to fall back any farther, stared into the eyes of the man who still held him by his hair. Suddenly, sensing Lumi¨¨re''s hesitation, Three of Hearts moved his palm in front of the barrel, pulling back harshly on his grasp of Lumi¨¨re''s hair, causing the magician''s hands to contract instinctively. Immediately, a large ''bang'' resounded in the room. Blood flew up in the air, and Lumi¨¨re dropped the gun to the floor. A bullet had singed a dark black hole into the wall behind Three of Hearts, and blood dripped down his wrist, staining his white shirt.

    As Lumi¨¨re''s gaze shook with horror, Three of Hearts nonchalantly relaxed his grasp on Lumi¨¨re''s hair. He then picked up Lumi¨¨re''s hand gently, and using the blood from the bullet wound on his palm, he began to draw out the runes for the contract onto Lumi¨¨re''s skin.

    "Blood has significance when it comes to scrawling runes. If you use normal ink, you have to go through a lot of procedures to make sure that it''ll link back to you." Three of Hearts began to speak in a sultry, relaxed tone. "If you use blood from the start, however, it''s automatically linked to you. It saves a lot of hassle when forming contracts."

    When the runes had been scrawled, Three of Hearts, kneeling before the sitting Lumi¨¨re, began to speak once more.

    "The Registrar will promise to die if the strictions of the contract are not abided by exactly. He will not seek out additional compensation for the mystical weapon. In exchange, the signatory will seek out the individual known as the ''Four of Hearts'' and reprise the subject of dealing with the Registrar to the individual. Are these terms agreeable, One of Spades?"

    Lumi¨¨re''s gaze was frozen and hollow, as if memories were racing past his eyes all in a single moment. Not only had Three of Hearts turned the situation against him in an instant, and suffered a wound from Lumi¨¨re in the process, but had still offered the magician the concession he had requested.

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    "Will you accept the terms of the contract, One of Spades?"

    Lumi¨¨re was shaken out of his thoughts, and with a quiet voice, he asked a question that rang out in the still air.

    "Why?"

    ¡®Damn it¡­ he really outclassed me. How am I supposed to keep up this persona?¡¯

    Three of Hearts¡¯s expression had relaxed a bit, and his expression was genial and soft. He still held Lumi¨¨re¡¯s hand up, as if it were a most precious diamond, gentle and kind.

    "You remind me of someone I admired. He was hurting. He had to hide it like you do."

    Lumi¨¨re¡¯s expression reddened a bit, and reeling out of embarrassment, retracted his hand.

    "I''m sorry." Lumi¨¨re said. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have shot you. I had a lapse of mind just now.¡±

    "Wounds like this are no big deal." Three of Hearts smiled ruefully. "The pain is just a reminder that I can still feel. Besides, when dealing with a Spades holder, I¡¯m no stranger to caution. You lot always tend to be a bit on the distracted side."

    ¡°I accept the terms of the contract.¡± Lumi¨¨re spoke in reply, immediately closing his heart. He had opened up as he had harmed Three of Hearts, but he quickly came to realise that was just how processions in the House of Cards were fated to go. Even if the man before him had been kind and forgiving about it, he couldn¡¯t hesitate to harm people alike to him in the future. For the sake of growth, he would have to kill those with the successive cards of the spades house. For the sake of progress, and for changing the world, he would have to become a ¡®light¡¯ that pierces through the darkness, even if that light would singe his skin.

    He was not unfamiliar with playing a role- with wearing a mask. If he needed to stick to the identity of a cold, calm person, then he could do so. Now, he knew there were cracks in his mask that needed mending.

    ¡®Who could train me to be a hardened killer?¡¯ Lumi¨¨re lamented humourously in his mind. ¡®Father Benedict? He couldn¡¯t harm a bug. Constantine is too kindhearted to kill mercilessly¡­ then perhaps Adonis Trinder? The Fox of the Steel Wastes is no stranger to ruthlessness. I¡¯ll seek him out when this deal is done.¡¯

    ¡°So, will that be all, Mr. Three of Hearts?¡±

    Three of Hearts had already sat back down in his seat, his hand hovering over his wound as he focused on mending it. It seemed that an ¡®alchemist¡¯ had some sort of healing capability, as soon the bleeding had stopped, and he had already bandaged it.

    ¡°It will be all for that matter. The runes will disappear once the contract has been completed.¡± Three of Hearts spoke genially, now relaxed in his seat. ¡°I would approach Four of Hearts by myself, but its not common to do so. Often that is attributed to an oncoming request for a duel, or some sort of assassination attempt. I could also have the motives of stealing his card, so my successor will be much more guarded around me. It¡¯s good to use a second in these cases.¡±

    ¡°Then, I should get going.¡± Lumi¨¨re bowed his head slightly before moving to get out of his seat.

    ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Three of Hearts spoke suddenly. ¡°Are you interested in crystals, by chance?¡±

    ¡°Crystals?¡± Lumi¨¨re turned to look at Three of Hearts. ¡°Why would I be interested in crystals? How much would I need to pay for such a luxury, anyway? I have no one to give them to.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re not crystals as you would think. They¡¯re pendants- mystical artifacts that offer you a semblance of greater ability.¡± Three of Hearts smiled. ¡°As of now, I can offer you one free of charge. I made a terrible investment, and now I have too many on my hands.¡±

    He reached out his unbandaged palm towards Lumi¨¨re, and it held a faded-green coloured crystal carved into a diamond shape, held up by a silver band and a thin metal jewelry chain.

    ¡°Greater ability? A little crystal?¡±

    Three of Hearts nodded in response. His gentle demeanor had faded once more, and given way to his mercantile persona once more.

    ¡°If you pour a small amount of your aura into it, it will start to resonate, and give off those effects. Kind of like shouting in a small space and hearing it echo.¡± Three of Hearts nodded assuredly.

    ¡°Aura?¡± Lumi¨¨re puzzled. ¡°What¡¯s that? Are you making up things to get me on board with your little scam?¡±

    Three of Hearts handed the crystal to Lumi¨¨re, who had sat back down in his seat, and a grin crept back up his expression.

    ¡°You really are the little dove wandering into the house of snakes. You¡¯re going to get bitten if you don¡¯t learn quick enough of these things. Do you know what your abilities as a heretic are?¡±

    Lumi¨¨re nodded in response.

    ¡°I do, although I haven¡¯t gathered a sense of what the other domains focus on.¡±

    Suddenly, Lumi¨¨re felt a rhythm emanating from his coat pocket. It was a constant, rhythmic thump- alike to a heartbeat. Suddenly, a satisfied grin began to curve up his face.

    ¡°But I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll know soon enough. I¡¯ll take your crystal, as long as you guarantee it¡¯s free of charge.¡±

    ¡°I would recommend you learn quick about aura, so you can suppress that nauseating sense of darkness about you.¡± Three of Hearts chuckled heartily. ¡°To anyone who doesn¡¯t know you as a heretic, they would begin to suspect that you¡¯re a Nameless. It¡¯s not good to be a Nameless in a place where the orthodox churches are so prevalent.¡±

    ¡®Nameless? Black aura? What is he talking about now? I suppose I can seek him out if the Gnosis won¡¯t answer my questions, but I¡¯ve secured my goal for now. It could bring trouble to stay any longer.¡±

    "Also, if you''re going to act crazy, you have to follow through. The spades are known for insanity, so you''ve already got that on your side."

    "The spades are known for insanity?"

    Three of Hearts nodded.

    "You''re on a path destined to be mad, my dear patron."

    Before Lumi¨¨re could leave, Three of Hearts stood up, bowed slightly, and walked out of the door into the House of Card¡¯s main hall, disappearing into the crowd.

 Chapter 32: Moral Choices

    As the bright-red sun began to set on the horizon, Lumi¨¨re had returned to the monastery and immediately adjourned to his bedroom. Father Benedict was sitting alone in the hall, but Lumi¨¨re had more pressing matters to attend to, and so he paid him no mind.

    Lumi¨¨re sat down at the edge of his bed, flipping open Poe¡¯s Gnosis and immediately turning to the pages that had begun to emit a dim silver glow. As soon as he laid eyes on the page, it begun to resound with a faint heartbeat, and as it shivered and grew warm, thick black ink began to writhe on the surface of its pages, forming into lines of ancient Iles script. His eyes crossed line after line, and eventually, he had to reread the page just to capture the essence of the text.

    ¡ª There¡¯s an innate force that lies within you, an ¡®aura¡¯ that courses through channels like veins, in the way that blood would be carried throughout your body. Of course, maybe you¡¯re a fool who knows nothing of human anatomy. Then again, perhaps you aren¡¯t that human at all. This aura can be channeled throughout your body, done innately during the use of magic, gathering in the center of one¡¯s palm. This acts along as a source of energy for your physical body. It is to say that if one were to drain themselves of that source of aura without giving it ample time to replenish, one¡¯s body would simultaneously drain itself of energy and grow fatigued.

    ¡®So I have to gauge my body¡¯s fatigue and not overwork myself? Isn¡¯t that already a given in any aspect? Is this really a surprising revelation?¡¯ Lumi¨¨re posed inwardly, letting out a quiet chuckle before turning back towards the text.

    ¡ª Of course, what comes along with channeling through your palms is the choice. It is the penultimate choice of being a human- the decision to be a saint or a devil. The left and right hand paths signify the purpose of magic one would use. If one were to use magic of an inherent ¡®evil¡¯ standard, they would cast the ability or spell with their left hand. For inherently ¡®good¡¯ purposes, they would use their right. For you, who is detestable, your right hand would be left behind entirely, I¡¯m sure. Of course, to any delusional fellow, it¡¯s possible that they would use inherently ¡®evil¡¯ abilities with their right hand, under the presumption that their actions are morally just. As long as you can convince yourself of your intentions, it doesn¡¯t matter too much. But if you¡¯re unsure of yourself, or you are convinced that your actions are ¡®evil¡¯ or ¡®good¡¯, using the wrong hand to cast the spell with the wrong intentions will surely increase your inclinations to madness.

    Lumi¨¨re¡¯s eyes filled with a sense of grand alarm, a shock to his heart that threatened to seize his sanity if he were to fail to regain his mental clarity. Countless thoughts raced past his mind, and he had to shroud himself in the darkness of his blankets as he tries to stabilise his churning mind.

    ¡®I was always left-handed¡­ I would alway perform my acts using my left hand¡­ doesn¡¯t that mean that inherently, in the process of lying¡­ of using illusion to further myself, I was already being a villain? Was I ever really different from the cruelty of the world? Ms. Gluttony said I was destined to destroy the world like they were¡­ was that really the truth?¡¯

    ¡®No¡­ being evil, being good¡­ I¡¯ve already decided to do horrible things to fulfill my goals. This isn¡¯t letting the world change me, this is me choosing to change myself. I just have to do what must be done, that is all. Using my left hand, or using my right, I can cast this world¡¯s madness in flame and watch it turn to ash. I just need to be careful to avoid burning the people I care most about.¡¯

    Lumi¨¨re suddenly let out an uncontrollable laugh, having to clutch at his sides to contain himself, his despairing state vanishing in an instant. The blanket fell away, and he was immediately bathed in the dim lamplight of his room.

    ¡®I shot that merchant- Three of Hearts in his left hand. Doesn¡¯t that mean that from this point on, he can only use magic for inherently ¡®good¡¯ purposes? Perhaps I am both a devil and a saint-maker.¡¯ Lumi¨¨re¡¯s thoughts immediately took on a humourous tone, and his attention gradually shifted back towards the Gnosis, his mind refreshed.

    As he flipped the page of the Gnosis, the black inky substance began to sprawl on its surface once more. Although, besides the familiar text, at the top of the page above a lengthy a paragraph, an inked-out sketch took shape. It was of a diamond-shaped crystalline object held up by a small metallic chain. Immediately familiar to Lumi¨¨re, he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out the small faded-green crystal held up by the silver band and chain.

    ¡ª ¡®Crystomancy¡¯ revolves around the combination of pooled aura and specially-carved crystals to achieve grand effects that the common four domains of magic would normally fail to provide. As you would channel your aura to conjure a spell, you would do the same. In this case, instead of being expelled based on your intentions, the aura would automatically gather into the interior of the crystal, refracting in its surface alike to a prism before dispersing. For the sake of your detestable being, it wouldn¡¯t matter too much which hand is used to gather energy within the crystal pendant. Although, it¡¯s probably always best to use inherently ¡®good¡¯ intentions when channeling your aura into a pendant.

    ''How did it feel when I cast that spell- it was like a spark, so maybe I should call it that. When I cast ''spark'', what did it feel like to conjure the flames in my hands?

    Lumi¨¨re had always unconsciously cast the spell, as if he had some sort of visual in his mind of how it would play out. It was partly because he had done the same sort of trick in his illusionist performances up until that point, but also because had spent so much time alone in his room fantasising about the use of real magic. After all of that, it felt entirely natural to him to summon the flames without thought.

    ''Like veins running through my body, sending aura coursing through it and ending up pooling in my palm?''

    Lumi¨¨re closed his eyes, holding the aventurine crystal in his hand. He let out a deep breath, and focused on the darkness that dwelled within his mind. Slowly, he imagined his body from an outside perspective. He imagined each skin, muscle and the skeletal layers that made up his thin, tall form. Slowly, he visualised bright-white hot veins circulating through his body, twisting and turning until they reached his palms. Immediately, his right palm that was holding the crystal began to feel warm. Rather than sparking alight and transforming into a flame, however, the crystal in his hand began to glow a bright-green colour, and his body felt enveloped in a faint and gentle warmth.

    Instantly, Lumi¨¨re felt as if he could sense the minute details of the room around him. He could tell the exact temperature of the air that touched against his skin. He could hear the exemplified sounds of the rain tapping against the stone outside, and of the bugs that skittered around within the walls. His eyes peered past the open window of his room, eyeing the darkness of the emerging night. Holding the aventurine infused with aura in his hand, the darkness seemed to seep away, and his vision was granted respite from the night, able to see the outside world clearly as if it were almost day.

    ''So this is what Three of Hearts meant by enhanced senses? This really is brilliant...'' He posed, a smile curving up his lips as he thought. ¡®Combined with my ¡®blood tracking¡¯ ability, isn¡¯t this too good? How skilled would an enemy have to be to attack me without my notice? Granted, it uses up so much stamina¡­¡¯

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    Coupled with the fatigue of his day, using so much aura without refined control made it spill out of him erroneously. His body instantly felt weak, as if all his energy had been drained. He truly had no practice in such matters. Unlike conjuring a flame, which required a slight bit of mana to alight a spark, constantly pouring out a thin thread of aura took much greater control- too much for Lumi¨¨re to handle in his current state. He slipped the aventurine crystal back into his pocket, raising the Gnosis into the air as he eyed it once more, his eyes growing sleepy.

    -- Strange, unique powers can be awakened from listening to the murmurs of the Forever. However, this shouldn''t be done under any circumstances for a detestable person like you. You, who is already inclined to become crazy and ravage the world cannot afford to delve into the part of reality that has grown farther than mad. After all, a heretic is near-destined to go insane. Still, you should beware those who seem as if they are a part of the churning grey mist that often blankets people and locations in a unrecognisable aura. They are the chosen of the scholars who disseminate information from within the ''Forever''.

    ''Those people are dangerous? People with inherently unique abilities? Is that like the man who attacked the monastery? He was able to control those shadowy hands alike to the club cards who fought in the House of Cards, but he was likely a heretic like I¡­ did he gain this power from listening to those ¡®murmurs¡¯ then?''

    Lumi¨¨re let out an audible ''tsk''. If he wanted the best chance of remaining as sane as possible, he had to avoid the murmurs and ravings that would supposedly grant him intense power. If only he had chosen another domain of magic, then perhaps he would have been able to do so. Although, with or without some inherent special ability, it didn''t change what he had to do.

    -- Those who have fallen to greed, stealing more than fire from the gods, are capable of otherworldy feats. Using magical powers from four cursed domains - of hereticism, astrology, alchemy, and black magic, they can accomplish so much. Although, the cost of using black magic is the gradual loss of one''s soul. An astrologer will discover the vast, infinite breadth of the universe and gradually lose their morality, as anyone as small as a human will seem insignificant in the face of the cosmos. An alchemist will delve into the horrors of modification, and of defying death, and slowly losing what makes one human. As has been said previously, the cost of being a heretic is your innate sanity. However, this is not the only cost one must pay for immense power. Upon death, there will be no peaceful afterlife awaiting you. You will be swept away by the universe, and your soul will rest eternally in ''The Forever''. You will feel a constant gnawing anxiety, and all those around you will appear as faceless entities under the grey sky. You will never talk with another, never see a human expression, or feel connection. All you will be able to do for eternity is suffer- forever.

    -- The servants of a great Lord are sometimes inducted into their heavenly kingdom, and so avoid the punishment of the Forever. Too, do they receive the boon of their master. For us primordial sins who serve the great Lord Sinner, we have access to his bestowments. We are allowed to reside in his Kingdom in a state that is neither alive nor dead. It is peace from our fates, our destinies which harm all that we once loved and admired.

    ''So Poe really is a servant of Lord Sinner... then are we compatriots? Is that why I''ve been allowed to borrow his compendium of knowledge? He''s a little too teasing for a comrade, however...'' Lumi¨¨re''s brows furrowed slightly.

    The pages that had begun to glow silver gradually began to dissipate in their bright hues. Turning to a non-glowing page brought no results, as the black ink would fail to churn on the paper. Having no more information to glean for the time being, Lumi¨¨re tucked the book back into his coat pocket and closed his eyes, immediately falling into a deep slumber.

    ¡ª

    ¡®An old comrade? Why would I want someone like that to pose as a nun here? I was fine enough with what I had¡­¡¯

    Father Benedict knelt solemnly at the edge of Elise Alinde¡¯s room. In death, she could no longer be a Sister, a servant of the Lady of Thorns, and so there was no reason to keep her things in her bedroom. He tried to glance at everything with a calm, unmoving attitude, but sitting in her room, he hadn¡¯t yet worked up the courage to move a single thing. He often chided in his mind at the way Lumi¨¨re would hold up a mask to protect himself, but he too hid behind one. Instead of Lumi¨¨re¡¯s normal reason for playing a persona, he felt that he was doing it simply because it suited him. Ainsworth Benedict, at his core, wasn¡¯t really a person one would want to anoint to Priesthood. A playboy was not suited for such a role. Only Father Benedict, the calm, pious, and wise young man could be given all that he had dreamed of. While Lumi¨¨re was a liar to protect his heart, Ainsworth was a liar for the sake of greed.

    ¡®You were a much better servant than I, even though you were always conflicted with your role and your wishes¡­¡¯ Father Benedict thought ruefully. ¡®You were the only person I would have ever wished could serve beside me. It made me feel so much better, to know that all of my sins could be absolved by working alongside you. More than that, you were a friend, a true comrade. So why does it feel so painful to wish you a goodbye? Why can¡¯t I wear a mask when confronting your absence?¡¯

    Father Benedict placed a hand against his left eye, and as he stared up at the stars out of Elise¡¯s window, his right eye began to glow a pale blue colour. Suddenly, he could make out all the collections of the stars in the sky- constellations, and clusters of stars immediately seeped into his mind in droves of information, and it felt as if he had grasped the entire expanse of what he had been looking at.

    ¡®What¡¯s the point of this power gifted to me by the Goddess, if I cannot protect her most loyal servants? My most cherished¡­¡¯

    Father Benedict¡¯s eyebrows furrowed slightly, recalling Elise¡¯s previous conversation with him. She spoke of how ¡®the moment of her death being the moment she had forsaken the Goddess¡¯. Unnerved in the way she had said it, Father Benedict had used his necklace as a pendulum to perform a divination over the matter. After asking a question to the stars, they would then answer promptly. The pendulum swinging to the left or the right meant a positive answer, while swinging towards or far away from the user meant a negative answer. Usually, stillness meant that either the question couldn¡¯t be answered, or it was inconclusive. This meant that ¡®yes¡¯ or ¡®no¡¯ questions were the only ones that could be asked, and the stars weren¡¯t beholden to playing a game of twenty questions, so being sure of the single question asked was important, as asking more than a few would increase his inclination to losing his morality.

    While ¡®death¡¯ or the ¡®cause¡¯ of death couldn¡¯t be directly divined by the stars, the inclination to encountering danger in the near future could be directly divined. However, this proved inconclusive when Ainsworth had tried to divine the matter. Therefore, he assumed wrongfully that nothing would happen to her for the time being, and so he felt immense guilt for not pursuing his gut feeling more. It was said that humans had an innate sense for their oncoming demise, and so it had irked him when she had spoken so outwardly. Moreover, at his level, matters involving the four known domains of magic couldn¡¯t be divined easily. This confirmed, despite the state of the corpses at the scene, beyond all doubts that the attack had involved sorcery, likely of the ¡®heresy¡¯ domain.

    Recently, the sect serving the evil Goddess- the ¡®Lace of Blood¡¯ had begun to ramp up the intensity and number of their attacks and sacrificial offerings. This usually involved the murder of innocents, and so the church of the Crown of Thorns, and the Church of the Architect had devised several teams of sorcery users to combat their involvement in the Forger Empire. So, soon a nun involved in one of those teams, like Father Benedict had been would be sent to their monastery on Cobbler¡¯s Street. This was why Elise¡¯s room had to be cleared out.

    ¡®If I can use sorcery, why can¡¯t I just get up and confront this?¡¯

    Father Benedict immediately stood up and walked over to her nightstand, opening it and glancing at the contents. On top of freshly folded nightwear, there was a gleaming silver object. A silver-grey iron flower rested atop, cold as if it hadn¡¯t been worn in a long time, yet chipped and scratched if it had also been worn too many times to count. A faint, saddened smile curved up Ainsworth¡¯s lips, and he picked up the flower before placing it carefully in his pocket.

    ¡®I¡¯ll return this to him later¡­¡¯

 Chapter 33: Monocle-wearing fox

    When he awoke the next morning, Lumi¨¨re felt as if his body had been immensely stressed out. His bones creaked, and his muscles threatened to tear themselves apart with every movement. Still, he got up out of bed and made his way to the bathroom at the end of the hall. He turned on the faucet and splashed his dirtied face with cold water before drawing a bath with the same cold water. When the cast-iron tub at the edge of the room had been filled, Lumi¨¨re slipped his clothes from the day before off of his body, leaving them to fall to the floor in heaps. In recent days, he hadn¡¯t paid attention to his own failing eating habits, and so his form looked a bit haggard and thin. Lumi¨¨re had never worked in an industry of intensely hard labour, and so his body never had the chance to build much muscle, his eating habits exacerbating the issue entirely.

    Lumi¨¨re turned his attention towards the bath, raising his ungloved hand and pressing his pointer finger and thumb together. As he snapped his fingers, a large, writhing silvery flame appeared in the palm of his hand. He then placed his hand against the cast-iron tub, and with a bit of expenditure of his stamina, the tub was immediately enveloped in a film of flames. They twirled and danced about at the edge of the tub, and almost immediately, the water started to let off thick droves of steam. A smile curved up Lumi¨¨re¡¯s face, and as he slipped into the water, he allowed the silver flames to dissipate. Immediately, it felt as if the fatigue that gnawed at his form wisped away, and he was thrust into a state of complete relaxation.

    When he had finished, Lumi¨¨re dried himself off and made his way back to his room. When he opened the drawer by his bedside to retrieve his clothes, he noticed a bright silver gleam atop the folded linens. When he picked it up, his heart sank instantly. It was a flower wrought from iron, a pin to be placed within a woman¡¯s hair. He bit at his lip to try and ignore the churning pain in his heart, and he gently wove the iron pin into the strands of hair atop his head. He then tied back the remainder of his hair with a strand of twine.

    As soon as the heartache abated, Lumi¨¨re donned his everyday attire- a black longcoat, a button-up white shirt, and a flat cap. He slipped the remainder of his hair under his hat, and checked to see that he was carrying his most essential items with him. Poe¡¯s Gnosis was nestled into a pocket sewn on the inside of his jacket, along with the music box meant to sate the monster in his shadow. He had slipped the aventurine pendant into his front pocket, and his straight sabre had been sheathed at his waist. His newly acquired pistol- Cerces, had been holstered at his side, concealed by his longcoat. Since it was illegally obtained, it was something that Lumi¨¨re definitely did not want the Peacekeepers to notice.

    After getting adequate rest, Lumi¨¨re had decided to depart for the home of operations of the Blackfeather group in order to seek guidance from the Fox of the Steel Wastes, Adonis Trinder. Behind the pretty, soft mask he was beholden to, he was rumoured to have been a trained killer, adept with both firearms and blades. Lumi¨¨re was more interested in seeking guidance with a firearm. Since he had been able to avoid the military draft that swept through the lower borough because he had been affiliated with the church, Lumi¨¨re had never had the opportunity to learn how to fire a weapon. If he were to face more dangerous enemies in the future, he knew it was crucial that he learnt such a thing.

    As he walked along Cobbler¡¯s Street, the beauty of the hillside giving way to the horrific sights of the shattered lower borough, he ruminated the powers he had obtained thus far, as if compiling a compendium of his options in the event of danger. Over the course of a few weeks, he had gained extraordinary power by getting tangled up in extreme events. He had lost the person closest to him, and it had stoked a goal in his heart to change the tragedy around him.

    By stumbling upon the ¡®One of Spades¡¯ after fighting with the crazed heretic in the monastery, he had gained access to ¡®Illusory Murmurs¡¯, ¡®Spark¡¯, ¡®Blood Tracing¡¯, and the ability to temporary enhance his strength by blaspheming an orthodox deity. From being summoned to the labyrinth, and being invited by the Lord Sinner to become one of his ¡®Primordial Sins¡¯, he had gained the ability to access a greater, more powerful form- ¡®Despair¡¯. Besides that, with the permission of Aris Sevant, who he had met within the labyrinth, he also had the ability to access her form- ¡®Gluttony¡¯, of which entitled the power to consume everything around him to a certain degree, although he was hesitant to use such an ability.

    Due to the inconsistency of the origin of ¡®fear¡¯, Lumi¨¨re had decided to ignore his subset of abilities that had come with signing the contract with Lord Sinner. After all, most creatures of magical means did not fear as humans did. The poisoning of his blood also seemed to prove useless in most scenarios. For the time being, being a heretic was far more useful than being a sinner. More than that, he feared falling into the hands of the evil Deity further. He would use the Lord Sinner¡¯s powers only if truly necessary.

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    ¡®This power¡­ I don¡¯t think the fate of ¡®destroying the world¡¯ is necessarily about failing to use it. I¡¯ve used the power of ¡®Despair¡¯ once already, although I can¡¯t particularly remember it. Then, is it about falling into ¡®Despair¡¯? While I have lost myself for a time, I¡¯ve managed to recover in every instance. If I can¡¯t manage to recover myself, and I truly fall into despair, I may just bend to fate and destroy the world without knowing it for a moment.¡¯ Lumi¨¨re¡¯s horror began to rise in his heart, but he immediately cut it away. This meant that he would have to manage his feelings well, and not let them overtake him.

    ¡®If I become inclined to madness, I will also lose my way forward¡­ then, I can¡¯t look at myself as ¡®morally good¡¯ anymore. Even if it¡¯s for a good purpose in the end, I¡¯ll have to do horrible things. My flames harm others, so I¡¯ll have to cast them with my left hand if they¡¯re not for utilitarian purposes. I just have to be sure that I¡¯ll go through with it, is all. I¡¯m already a murderer anyway. What is the harm in a thousand more bodies if I can cleanse the cruelty of society for the sake of those around me?¡¯

    Lumi¨¨re cringed slightly at the thought, but he paid it no mind and kept walking.

    ¡®If I can be evil for the sake of those around me, isn¡¯t that fine? Can I really go through with that? I can¡¯t even play a ¡®crazy¡¯ role for the sake of hiding my true identity. Isn¡¯t this too difficult? Why did I have to be cursed with a human conscience?¡¯

    His expression was calm, but also a little blank, and his eyes were vacant as his thoughts raced. He found himself staring at a wall in the middle of the street, where a glass window had been collecting dust, and so his warped reflection found its way into his view. He placed a hand against the skin by his eyes, trying to pull away the fatigue that had gathered underneath.

    ¡®Am I really not letting the world change me? Do I really have a choice in the matter?¡¯ Lumi¨¨re let out a ¡®tsk¡¯ before turning back toward his walk. ¡®Fuck, haven¡¯t I already decided to become different for the sake of moving forward? Why am I still lamenting who I once was? Why am I so hung up on this?¡¯

    Soon, he came to a familiar dilapidated building made of stone bricks that was lit up by exterior lamplight. The boarded up windows seemed to be falling apart, and the front entrance was guarded by the two familiar blue-eyed twins. As usual, a figure with cloud-white hair and bright-yellow eyes hidden behind a silver monocle sat above him on the rooftop. He had pale white skin, and thick black tattooed markings underneath his eyes. It was the Fox of the Steel Wastes.

    ¡°Good morning, Mr. Trinder.¡± Lumi¨¨re said, his lips curling up into a genial smile.

    ¡°Mr. Croft, it¡¯s early. Are you here to see the boss? He¡¯s not in right now. He¡¯ll be back later, if you want to wait inside.¡± Adonis responded, his expression still and unmoving. He always looked blank, like a pretty doll.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not here for Mr. Adler.¡± Lumi¨¨re shook his head in response, extending his hand as if beckoning towards the fox. ¡°In fact, I¡¯m here to see you.¡±

    ¡°Me? Why would you come here to see me?¡±

    Adonis looked truly confused for once. He couldn¡¯t fathom the idea that someone would approach him with purpose, at least not with one that wasn¡¯t inherently lustful, for which he knew Lumi¨¨re Croft wasn¡¯t interested in in the slightest.

    ¡°You¡¯re adept in shooting, aren¡¯t you? I¡¯d like you to teach me. I¡¯ll make it worth your while.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to do such a thing. You¡¯re boss¡¯s friend. I can teach you without recouping a cost. It¡¯s just basic manners to do so.¡± Adonis shook his head.

    ¡°Still, it would be strange to offer you nothing in exchange, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±

    Lumi¨¨re reached into his coat pocket, procuring a small object wrapped in a thin white cloth. He gradually unraveled the twine that kept it together, and sitting in the palm of his hand was a buttery and flaky pastry that looked as if it had been glazed with melted sugar, and topped with a single glistening cherry in the center. After talking a bit with Eamon Stroud, who seemed less than keen to have a general conversation with Lumi¨¨re, began to rant on and on passionately about the Steel Fox. In doing so, Lumi¨¨re had learned that Adonis Trinder, above all things, admired sweets the most. So, at the cost of the majority of the wealth he had left, he had bought a warm pastry from the marketplace in Etten-Leur to exchange for lessons in shooting.

    As he spotted the pastry in Lumi¨¨re¡¯s hand, Adonis¡¯s blank expression gradually grew warmer, revealing a smile uncharacteristic of him. He let out an audible gulp, and slowly blinked as if to ascertain whether he was seeing an illusion or not.

    ¡°Well, if you¡¯re keen on an exchange, I can¡¯t just deny your kindness, Mr. Croft.¡± Adonis nodded his head in certainty, adjusting the monocle on his eye before hopping down to the ground below. He glanced momentarily over to the blue-eyed twins who watched over the building, but they paid him no mind, and so he looked back towards Lumi¨¨re.

    ¡°Have you ever been to the Steel Wastes, Mr. Croft?¡± Adonis spoke politely.

    Lumi¨¨re shook his head in response.

    ¡°I¡¯ve always been told it¡¯s far too dangerous to go there without any reason.¡±

    ¡°Then, let¡¯s go there. In recent days, with the sending of Peacekeeper reinforcements from Lindgram, there¡¯s been far less scavenger activity. Less and less have people begun to journey there for the collection of scrap. It¡¯s a very good place to train in secrecy, with an abundance of items that can be used as makeshift targets.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re nodded his head.

    ¡°Alright then. Lead the way.¡±

 Chapter 34: The Phantom Syndicate

    It was a sprawling city of steel and scrap. Rather, it was like an entire city had become nothing but scrap, and abandoned to a large corner of the lower borough. It was the product of Leiden¡¯s rampant industrialisation efforts. The train systems that ran from the capital and Leiden yielded large amounts of excess scrap metal. Moreover, the efforts of the Mechanicus Die Firma, the main company behind the automaton servants that littered both the middle and high borough, as well as the rampant increase of automobile use in post-war Leiden and Lindgram. Because of the constant rainfall, that scrap metal that was left over from production would quickly rust and erode, and then the toxic metals would seep into the ground, ruining its quality as pertained to agricultural production. So, as were all things, the lower borough became a dumping ground for industrial metal waste.

    ¡°It¡¯s quite¡­ large?¡± Lumi¨¨re spoke almost questioningly, in fascination at the sight before him.

    Although, Adonis looked at him almost suspiciously.

    ¡°You don¡¯t seem as scared as I thought you would be, Mr. Croft.¡±

    ¡°Scared? Why would I be scared?¡±

    Adonis adjusted the monocle on his eye, looking up towards the towers of sharply-cut steel with an expression of nostalgia on his face.

    ¡°Even the biggest men in our group are hesitant to come here for training. They¡¯re all afraid of wandering into a Scrap Lord¡¯s territory and being the meal of their underlings. How low must a person have sunk to their instinct of survival to eat others, I wonder?¡±

    His voice was soft and gentle when discussing such things, as if they were of no significance to him. After all, Adonis Trinder was born in the Steel Wastes. They were like an old home to him. In the massive sprawl of towering steel shards, those who would collect parts to sell or for building purposes were called ¡®scrappers¡¯. The ones who controlled the territory the scrappers could operate in were called the ¡®Scrap Lords¡¯. It was a bit unlike Etten-Leur, which was primarily controlled by mobs, which was more of a group effort. The Steel Wastes were a free-for-all hellscape for scrappers in comparison. Often, the steel a scrapper would bring home was not stained by rust, but by blood.

    Although, since the Peacekeepers had started patrolling in the lower borough, the bloodshed had dwindled considerably, and so it was a bit safer for the two to travel into it for the sake of shooting practice.

    ¡°The Peacekeepers have been patrolling more frequently, haven¡¯t they?¡± Lumi¨¨re jested. ¡°So, as long as we keep watch for them, we¡¯ll be fine. Anyways, we¡¯ll be the ones with firearms in the event of conflict.¡±

    ¡®Well, I can¡¯t tell him that I¡¯m not scared because I could set my enemies afire without considerable effort.¡¯ Lumi¨¨re lamented humourously.

    "Yes, I suppose you''re right." Adonis nodded assuredly. "Then, I guess here is fine as any."

    In the middle of the towering wasteland of craggy steel, there was a small clearing that the Blackfeather group often used for firearm training. Adonis had led Lumi¨¨re there, and soon, he had set up several targets made of scrap metal for him to shoot at.

    Standing apart from the targets at a moderate distance, Lumi¨¨re reached into his coat and unstrapped the holster, procuring the pistol from underneath his arm. As he raised it into the air, the silver exterior gleamed under the sun, and Adonis''s eyebrows raised slightly.

    "It''s a nice one." Adonis marveled. ".45 caliber? You really only need one bullet to take someone down, don''t you? Have you brought any extra ammunition for practice?"

    Lumi¨¨re shook his head in response.

    "That''s alright. Before we left for the Steel Wastes, I went inside to ask boss for some ammunition for the sake of practice. Thankfully, there''s always a lot of metal to melt down to make bullets with. You can use that ammunition, if you would like." Adonis replied.

    ''Wouldn''t it be suspicious if I were to suddenly have obtained a gun with magical properties? For now I''ll try and conceal that it reloads on its own.''

    "Alright then. I''ll take you up on your offer."

    After receiving the bullets from Adonis, Lumi¨¨re pulled the magazine away from the pistol, loading a bullet into it before inserting it back in. Then, he pulled back on the slide and pointed the gun at one of the metal targets in front of him. Adonis walked beside him, eyeing every aspect of Lumi¨¨re''s form as he steadied the sights.

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    "Raise your grip on the gun a little bit. It''ll help you straighten out your sights and raise your accuracy."

    According to his advice, Lumi¨¨re raised his grip around the gun slightly, and pointed it back towards the target. The front sight at the end of the pistol came into view. He sucked in a deep, slow breath.

    "As you breathe out, cut off your breath midway, and then fire as your body''s movement stabilises."

    "In the midst of battle, will I really have time to do all this?" Lumi¨¨re asked disbelievingly.

    "If you plan ahead well enough, one bullet will make sure you don''t have to start the battle in the first place." Adonis''s demeanor was cold, but that gentle, placid expression on his face didn''t change in the slightest. He adjusted his monocle slightly once more, before reaching into his coat''s interior and procuring his own firearm, before quickly pointing it at the metal target and pulling the trigger. The bullet cascaded through the metal, leaving a large hole in the center. Without wasting an ounce of movement, a knife found its way into Adonis''s hand as if it had been there all along, and he dashed towards the target. He swung the knife in an arcing motion, leaving a large gash in the weaker metal.

    "If you mess up your shot and miss, then you always have your blade as a follow-up. You''re well-versed in that domain, I''ve heard."

    For a short time longer, Lumi¨¨re continued to take shots at the metal targets as Adonis corrected his innaccuracies. After a while, Lumi¨¨re had gotten used to the motions and simple corrections of his stance, able to fire a bullet semi-accurately from a distance if given enough time to prepare.

    Lumi¨¨re lowered the pistol in his hand, turning to the silver-haired fox who seemed to soften like the sunset in the backdrop, leaning against a steel beam that had fallen from a massive pile of scrap.

    "Do you know who was responsible for the attack on the monastery?" Lumi¨¨re asked of him.

    Adonis''s head perked up instantly, and he looked over towards Lumi¨¨re with slightly widened eyes.

    "I''ve been told not to talk about ''those people'' anymore." Adonis shook his head, adjusting his monocle slightly. His body seemed to tremble slightly upon mentioning those whose names went unknown. "Ask boss if you want to know more."

    "Shall we talk, then?"

    A voice resounded behind the two, deep, sultry, and inviting. As they turned towards the man who had approached them, they caught glimpse of a piercing crimson gaze within the emerging darkness. His warm smile was like velvet, and his skin was like slightly-burnt amber.

    "Good afternoon, Mr. Adler." Lumi¨¨re smiled slightly as he pinched at the edge of his cap.

    Lumi¨¨re turned towards Adonis, who had returned to his normally calm and blank state, adjusting his monocle once more.

    "I''ll return with Mr. Adler, Mr. Trinder."

    Adonis nodded in response, and as Lumi¨¨re turned to walk away, he watched as the two vanished into the emerging darkness of the steel wastes. He then turned to a pool of shadows to the side, hanging underneath a tower of sharp steel, where two stern eyes gazed at him from afar.

    "Will you sit forever in the darkness watching me, or will you come out," Adonis started to talk with a hint of unusual harshness in his tone, "Teacher?"

    Emerging from the Steel Wastes, Lumi¨¨re and Constantine walked side by side, a relaxed smile on the magician''s face that had become uncharacteristic of him in recent times. After experiencing so many stressful situations, if it wasn''t for the sake of putting on a mask, Lumi¨¨re had been unable to truly relax. Only in the presence of his most trusted friend and confidant could he truly let the tension in his muscles dissipate. Still, there was a hint of caution and seriousness about him, as he had a question blaring aloud at the front of his mind.

    "Do you know who attacked the monastery, Constantine?"

    Constantine looked over at Lumi¨¨re with an expression full of surprise. Usually when Lumi¨¨re dropped the respectful pretense between them, which was a product of the disparity in their social statuses, it meant he was entirely serious. His eyebrows furrowed, and his lips quivered slightly as he spoke.

    "The Phantom Syndicate."

    Lumi¨¨re''s eyes widened, filling with a dull sense of anger.

    ''A group? An entire organisation is responsible for her death?''

    "Who are they? What do they want?" Lumi¨¨re spoke callously in question. "Why did it have to implicate us?"

    Constantine let out a sigh.

    "Relax yourself, my friend. I''ll tell you regardless of what state you''re in, but you might as well calm yourself."

    The shadow at Lumi¨¨re''s feet began to churn slightly, illuminated by the oil lamps hung from posts on Cobbler''s Street. Seeing this, Lumi¨¨re inhaled a deep breath, taking a moment to let his heart rest before turning back towards Constantine.

    "So? Who are the ''Phantom Syndicate''? What do they want?"

    "They''re a group of powerful individuals- users of sorcery. Can you believe that much, Lumi¨¨re?"

    "I can."

    "They kidnap children, usually orphans, and raise them to become powerful magic users. It''s all for the sake of summoning their ''Lord'', a true evil god. I''m not quite sure what creating an army does to cause the descent of a deity, but it''s definitely not a good thing."

    "How do you know so much about them?"

    "I''ve been hunting them alone for so long." Constantine sighed, his gaze falling towards the setting sun. "I took Adonis from them."

    "Adonis was raised as a user of sorcery?"

    Constantine nodded his head.

    "Adonis Trinder is a black mage, although I''ve forbidden him from performing any magic, or discussing the topic of the Phantom Syndicate in the presence of anyone other than me."

    "Even Mr. Stroud?" Lumi¨¨re pondered humourously. "When they''re so entwined with each other, he can''t discuss his past?"

    "It would make Eamon a target. I''m not so keen to do such a thing, and I''m sure Adonis isn''t either."

    "Are you not worried about such a thing with me?"

    "I''m quite sure you''re already a target of theirs, Lumi¨¨re."

 Chapter 35: The Master of all weapons

    After Lumi¨¨re awoke the next morning, he quickly dressed himself in casual wear and stepped into the brisk morning air of the lower borough. He was going to head to the Fencer¡¯s Association building. Father Benedict had awoken him with a knock at his door, letter in hand. After opening and reading it, Lumi¨¨re had discovered that he had been summoned by the Master of the Fencer¡¯s Association, Dreselle Artois. Lumi¨¨re had tried to, by all means, avoid the one who was called the ¡®Teacher of all Knights, master of all weapons, swordsman who transgressed fate¡¯. He was said, by all accounts, to have been the teacher of the current Emperor of the Forger Empire, who wielded the most power on the western continent. He was also the one who had taught Lumi¨¨re all that he knew about the blade. The reason he was so ignorant towards his master, always tempting his wrathful punishments by avoiding him, was that the other students and ongoers of the Fencer¡¯s Association was that the idea of their duels had become a sport- a performance to be beheld. Every time this would occur, Lumi¨¨re would lose badly, for the countless decades of experience were far too much for Lumi¨¨re to conquer alone.

    ¡®Master Artois wouldn¡¯t send a summons for no reason, however. Realistically, I have no reason to avoid him this time. He may have important matters to tell me of, but we will surely end up dueling regardless.¡¯

    Of all people that could send fear surging through his heart, Dreselle Artois was the only one who would send Lumi¨¨re¡¯s body into a shaking tremor with a mere thought. He was an old man with a calm demeanor, but the sharpness of his gaze was like a torrenting ocean storm, ready to crash onto the shore at a moment¡¯s notice.

    ¡®He¡¯ll beat the shit out of me this time, too¡­¡¯ Lumi¨¨re lamented inwardly, his emotions already having collapsed into a sense of longing for the day to be over. If only he could have magically skipped through time, so he didn¡¯t have to go through the experience of fighting Master Artois once more. ¡®However, this time, aren¡¯t I different? Haven¡¯t I experienced many dreadful, frightening things? Moreover, I¡¯ve gained several abilities-¡¯

    Lumi¨¨re paused his thoughts, recoiling as he tied up his hair with a strand of twine. He then strapped his sabre to his side, checking the blade quickly for any majour deficiencies.

    ¡®Eh? Is it really ethical to do such a thing? I¡¯ve only ever thought of beating Master Artois with my own merit. If I do it now so suddenly, won¡¯t that be a bit underhanded? Although, he does have many decades of experience in comparison to me. Maybe leveling the playing field isn¡¯t so bad after all¡­¡¯

    As he ruminated the thought, Lumi¨¨re stepped out into the brisk morning air, immediately heading for the stairs that led up to the middle borough. Heading down the main street, he wandered past the show hall. After so many weeks, it was likely that the madame had become slightly angered with his absences, but she had excused them nonetheless. Since her husband had died, she had been left to run the business of the show hall by herself, and so Lumi¨¨re was sure she felt the constant weight of people''s expectations weighing on her. She was amiable enough, and Lumi¨¨re knew her heart was kind. She too knew the pain of loss.

    Entering the Fencer''s Association building, he was greeted by the basking golden sunlight that shone in through the various windows of the open hallway that encircled the large stone platform in the center of the chamber. He continued to the end of the hall, entering the room where his equipment had been stored. After he had donned his white cloak, Lumi¨¨re stepped back out into the hall overlooking the platform in the center of the building.

    The Fencer¡¯s Association was, at its most basic form, just a building where those who had gained permission of the Master could come and go. They would wander by, hoping that there would be someone attending that they could bout with. Otherwise, they would practice with several wooden figures meant for striking, or the steel automaton that had been made specifically for practice. Luckily, on this particular day, there were several figures present in the building, so there was no lack of people for Lumi¨¨re to choose from. However, as his eyes swept across the stone platform in the center of the building, looking past the arched hallways that overlooked the fighting area, Lumi¨¨re spotted another man standing far from him on the other side of the hall. He had piercing violet eyes, and hair that looked as if it was more grey than blonde. He wore the same familiar white cloak with gold embroidery that was characteristic of the Fencer¡¯s Association.

    Lumi¨¨re¡¯s smile curved up slightly on his expression, and immediately he placed his hand on the railing, hopping over and landing far below on the stone platform. There was an intense clatter resounding underneath him, and immediately those on the large platform looked over towards him with expressions full of surprise. Still, Lumi¨¨re¡¯s gaze didn¡¯t drift away from the man above him, who soon followed suite and descended soon after. The attendants who had been practicing upon the large stone platform snapped their gazes towards the two who gradually approached each other, and their eyes filled with a shared excitement as they made their way off of the platform to overlook the upcoming bout.

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    "Hasn''t it been a long time since those two have fought?" A voice resounded through the hall.

    "It has, but at the same time, that magician hasn''t been performing either, has he? Perhaps we''ll see some of his tricks this time around." Another joked in response.

    Lumi¨¨re let out an audible ''tsk'' before stepping forward.

    ''Fuck it. I can win this. It''s different this time.''

    "Good afternoon, little apprentice." The older man spoke genially. He had already drawn his blade, keeping it held upright behind his back as he held it with both hands, as if to keep it concealed.

    Lumi¨¨re bowed slightly as he spoke in response.

    "To greet you once more, honourable Master Artois, is a pleasure. I''m here to respond to your summons."

    Master Artois let out a slight chuckle, his gentle gaze glancing up at the dozens of individuals that had gathered above them to watch the proceeding fight.

    ¡°I sent a summons?¡± The old Master Artois raised his brow slightly. Lumi¨¨re straightened his form, a slight amount of shock churning in his eyes as he ruminated.

    ¡®This bastard¡­ has he already forgotten why he¡¯s sent for me?¡¯

    Lumi¨¨re put all of his effort into controlling his face muscles as his eyebrow yearned to twitch.

    ¡°Well, forgetting that matter, hasn¡¯t it been some time since we¡¯ve had a bout?¡± The old Master¡¯s smile curled up into a grin. ¡°Surely you haven¡¯t been neglecting your practice, my dearest apprentice? After all, you wouldn¡¯t forsake my effort by bowing to your laziest traits.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re drew his sabre from its sheathe, raising it towards the man and tilting his head slightly at the same time.

    ¡°Come find out, dearest Master.¡±

    The emerging crowd¡¯s jeers and cheering could be heard from the rafters above, but Lumi¨¨re¡¯s focus had already drowned them out. On the stone platform, it felt as if it was just the two of them, circling each other with deadset gazes. Suddenly, Master Artois lurched forth. His blade which had been concealed behind his back soon met Lumi¨¨re¡¯s shoulder, tearing a gash into his cloak, failing to brush against his skin. Lumi¨¨re had immediately raised his blade to counter, barely deflecting Master Artois¡¯s sabre as he hopped backwards. Yet, the Master continued his offensive. He swung once more, and Lumi¨¨re responded in kind. The two blades met with a resounding ¡®clang¡¯ that echoed through the hall, and sparks erupted in the air. Lumi¨¨re lurched forward with his fist, but Master Artois moved his head slightly to the side with a grin still present on his expression.

    ¡®His movement¡­ it¡¯s slower than last time. Has his old age finally caught up to him? His memory is faultier than ever. Is this really the decline of Master of all Weapons?¡¯

    Master Artois¡¯s blade was thrust forward, catching Lumi¨¨re alongside his cheek, sending a splash of blood flying through the air. Lumi¨¨re winced slightly, raising his blade in the meanwhile while swinging his foot through the air towards his Master¡¯s head. Master Artois raised his free hand to catch Lumi¨¨re¡¯s foot, but it had already been left behind, a white cloak left in its place. Lumi¨¨re moved alongside the cloak he had thrown up in the air, slashing through it towards Master Artois¡¯s head with his blade. The same as Lumi¨¨re, a gash was left on the Master¡¯s cheek; the teacher¡¯s blood had been drawn, finally. A grin curled up Lumi¨¨re¡¯s lips, sure of his first victory over the most-skilled swordsman.

    Suddenly, Lumi¨¨re felt that he could sense the Master¡¯s blade slicing towards his head from behind. He raised his sabre over his shoulder, blocking the strike and sending countless sparks flying through the air, his eyes widening in shock and sudden realisation.

    ¡®I sensed it?¡¯ Lumi¨¨re¡¯s thoughts began to churn. ¡®The blood? Is this that ¡®blood tracing¡¯ that Poe¡¯s Gnosis had been talking about? I thought foolishly that this was an ability most detectives would lust for. In a certain range, it¡¯s effective, surely¡­ isn¡¯t this a bit too powerful?¡¯

    The crowds cheers erupted in the background, and Lumi¨¨re was momentarily distracted as his focus dissipated, his sense of ¡®performance¡¯ lost.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you a bit too distracted, little apprentice?¡± The old master¡¯s voice rang out. In the moment that Lumi¨¨re had been distracted, the old man had slipped behind him, raising his blade against Lumi¨¨re¡¯s neck as he grabbed a handful of the magician¡¯s hair.

    ¡®Eh¡­ what is with people and pulling my hair?¡¯ Lumi¨¨re grimaced. ¡®Fuck¡­ it¡¯s always a loss against him. Even using that power I wasn¡¯t able to beat him. Even though he¡¯s old and decrepit¡­ it¡¯s worth fearing this man, even slightly¡­¡¯

    After old Master Artois had let go of Lumi¨¨re¡¯s hair, they stood facing each other, the crowd¡¯s cheers still erupting in the audience.

    ¡°It was a good lesson. Thank you once again for your teachings, Master.¡± Lumi¨¨re spoke genially, his heart feeling otherwise. He felt annoyed at his performance, and otherwise annoyed at how the old man¡¯s failing body was supplemented by his intense skill and experience.

    ¡°Perhaps you would learn more if you would visit more often.¡± Master Artois chuckled, placing a hand against his cheek which still let off blood. ¡°You put up a better fight this time. Did something change within you?¡±

    ¡°Ms. Faulkner tells me the same.¡± Lumi¨¨re lamented. ¡°As for a change within myself¡­¡±

    Lumi¨¨re glanced up towards the windows of the open hall above, which let beams of sunlight spill into the enclosure, a gentle smile creeping up his face.

    ¡°I would say that much.¡±

 Chapter 36: Churning Shadow

    As Lumi¨¨re was about to adjourn from the Fencer¡¯s Association building, the Master, Dreselle Artois, called out to him. Lumi¨¨re turned to face the man who held a gaunt, serious expression, and gave him a puzzled look.

    ¡°Will you participate in the tournament in eight months time?¡± Master Artois asked of him.

    ¡°Eight months is too far a future to say yes. No man has say over whether they get another tomorrow, let alone eight months.¡±

    A smile curled up Master Artois¡¯s lips.

    ¡°So you really have changed for the better.¡± Master Artois chuckled lightly. ¡°Still, I expect you there. I know you won¡¯t disappoint me.¡±

    It felt almost as if they were saying a final goodbye. The tense mood that had always been between them had dissipated, and Lumi¨¨re felt as if he was no longer looking at him like a man that he feared, but one that he had always admired. To Lumi¨¨re, who couldn¡¯t remember his father¡¯s face, the grizzly, antiquate Master was someone who had always showed him the way.

    ¡°Will I see you there too, Esteemed Master?¡±

    Master Artois¡¯s gaze fell towards the blood-red sun that hung in the sky, a smile still apparent on his face.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be there by any means.¡± Without looking at Lumi¨¨re, he bid his goodbyes. ¡°Now go. I¡¯m sure you have a much more exciting life to get on with.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t discount yourself, Master.¡± Lumi¨¨re winked, before turning his back to the old man. His hands trembled slightly, and he bit at his lip as he tried to keep the tears collecting at the edge of his eyelids from spilling out.

    ¡®What aren¡¯t you telling me? Why are you speaking like this suddenly?¡¯

    Lumi¨¨re knew it well. Many people only spoke from their hearts when they felt like they had little time left to do so. Many parts of him ached to turn back, but he didn¡¯t. He kept walking down the main street of the middle borough, the old man fading away in the background. When he felt like the magician had all but left him behind, Old Master Artois turned towards the shadows beside him in the street, his smile fading away and his gaunt, dull expression returning.

    ¡°Will that be enough to sate your curiosity, Lord Calister?¡±

    A man with a polished visage stepped out of the shadows. He had copper-coloured hair and bright emerald eyes, with an ornate outfit of white and green. He turned to look where Lumi¨¨re had long-since faded away, and a gentle, plotting smile curled up on his face.

    ¡°He fights too brazenly. He¡¯ll be fun to mess around with.¡± Orion Calister laughed aloud. ¡°Did you truly teach him, ¡®o Great Master of weapons?¡±

    Old Master Artois seemed obviously annoyed by the Lord¡¯s slight, but still he replied genially.

    ¡°Will you talk with that demon as you promised?¡±

    ¡°You want your soul back? Is that it? Are you not scared to die, but afraid of what comes after?¡± Orion chided.

    ¡°I wish to rest with my wife and child in the Lady of Thorn¡¯s gentle embrace. Is that too much of a pipe dream for a worshipper of demons to comprehend?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a fool to think that Deities look gently upon on this world.¡± Orion murmured, before turning away from the man. ¡°If you want to speak with Euler, however, you should speak with him yourself.¡±

    Old Master Artois suddenly reached toward his face, compelled for some unknowing reason to brush his fingers against his cheeks. There was a warm, wet sensation, and when he pulled his hand away to glance at his fingers, they had been stained in bright crimson. Quickly, blood begun to flow down his cheeks like red-stained tears. To his horror, his hand then contorted wildly, as if the flesh that clung to bone began to morph like clay. It melted away, dripping down towards the ground, then reformed itself into wild, incomprehensible shapes. His bones began to peek out of his skin, spilling his blood in large pools underneath him. Slowly, the life in Old Master Artois¡¯s eyes faded away, beginning to glow an otherworldly, demonic hue. Soon, without even the opportunity to cry out, Dressele Artois had been killed.

    Orion Calister looked on with a slight mix of horror and aggravation, his eyebrow twitching slightly.

    "Do you really have to kill them so cruelly everytime, Euler?"

    The horrendously twisted form of Master Artois''s corpse slowly began to reform into his shape once more, and the demon Euler cracked his neck back into place with a resounding snapping noise.

    "Projecting my consciousness degrades the human form quite rapidly. Not killing them would result in quite a lot of pain. It''s rather ''humane'' this way." Euler grinned.

    "Will he receive the peace he bargained for?" Orion continued on, his brows furrowed.

    Euler shook his head in response.

    "Why would I give him that? A man who bargained for the power to become the greatest swordsman- what kind of deity would want a man like that to reside in their eternal kingdom?"

    Orion let out an audible ''tsk'' and turned his back to Euler, his long cloak fluttering in the evening wind.

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    "Whatever, forget about it."

    ---

    Back on the main street of the middle borough, Lumi¨¨re tried to keep the rushing wind from blowing his hair about as rain started to pour in droves onto the street. Under the rain, dozens of people in bright-white uniforms and caps marched through the streets in unison, carrying large rifles and batons in menacing fashion. They were the Peacekeepers of Leiden, who enforced law to a moderate degree, getting rid of whatever didn''t conform to their idea of ''order''. Usually, that meant anything associated with the lower borough, which they thought to be degenerate, dirty, and lawless. In recent days, the number of Peacekeepers in Leiden had undergone a significant shift, growing rapidly by the day. Moreover, those Peacekeepers had been making their presence known in the lower borough, despite the reign of the Scraplords and mob bosses.

    ''It''s too hard to get through the East gate so quickly... It''s why we use that secret flowering passageway. How are they allowed to and from the lower borough so quickly? Is it the presence of the will of one of the Lords of the wall? Have they started to move on the criminal organisations undercutting their profits? We''re surely in for some trouble in the near future...''

    Lumi¨¨re let out a quiet sigh and continued walking. Everyone had come to the quiet and subtle agreement that the lower borough belonged to the Scraplords and mob bosses, the middle borough to the Four Lords of the wall, and the high borough to the nobility families who saw over all of Leiden. However, the Peacekeepers had been established under the tacit approval of the two main orthodox churches in Leiden- of the Crown of Thorns and the Architect, and so in most people''s eyes, the Peacekeepers superceded the authority of the aforementioned groups.

    "Lumi, what are you out doing today?" A gruff voice called out suddenly.

    Artier and Letis, the dark-haired Hammond twins sudden appeared behind Lumi¨¨re. A smile immediately curled up the magician''s lips, and he quickly embraced the two in excitement.

    "Ah, you fools. The better question would be to ask what you two are doing here. Shouldn''t you be cleaving meat in your mother''s shop?"

    Letis let out an audible ''tsk'', adjusting his glasses before grinning.

    "Things have felt slightly off recently. We''re taking a day to adjust ourselves today and enjoy the festival. Etten-Leur has been dreary, but it seems business is up since that field of Rain Grass has been planted. More and more people have been making their way to our shop recently. It''s no trouble now to afford a day of leisure."

    Artier nodded in agreement, his gruff voice resounding in response.

    "Of course, we haven''t forgotten our mother, either. She''s taken a day of rest as well. You know she just doesn''t enjoy crowds as much."

    Lumi¨¨re nodded.

    "I know that much." Lumi¨¨re chuckled slightly. "Still, you would think she would take a day like this without hesitation, since it doesn''t come so often."

    Lumi¨¨re talked with the two men genially, although his heart had been gripped with fear. He used all of his concentration to keep his face from contorting with anxiety, and tried his best to keep his emotions in check.

    The shadows that followed the two men around were writhing and contorting rapidly, and there was obviously more than two of those ''monsters'' following them around.

    ''Shit... should I make some excuse to follow them and pacify the creatures with the music box?''

    Without wasting any time, Lumi¨¨re immediately made up an excuse.

    "It''s been too long since I''ve last enjoyed time in the festival district. Why don''t we spend some time together today?"

    Artier and Letis''s expression lit up bright with excitement. Neither were aware that they stood atop calamity.

    "That sounds wonderful." They seemed to speak in unison.

    Before long, the three were wandering along with the crowds of smiling families, unbothered by the constant rainfall. They made their way to a stall by the wayside and bought three steamed potatoes, hurting Lumi¨¨re''s wallet and heart significantly, but calming his emotions with the salted flavour of the delicacy.

    "How have you and Ainsworth been holding up?" Letis asked suddenly.

    Lumi¨¨re took another bite of the potato, and answered succinctly.

    "Fine enough. He''s busied himself. I''ve been too busy trying to stay alive to think about it."

    "Ha, that seems a little dramatic. Has that Madame of yours lowered your wages again?"

    ''If only a lack of money was the only threat on my life... then I could truly enjoy a beautiful existence...'' Lumi¨¨re lamented inwardly.

    "Is she buried near that monastery? We''ll have to visit sometime. We''ll bring the fruits that she enjoys." Artier smiled sadly.

    "Are believers of the Architect even allowed on the hallowed ground of the Lady of Thorns? Isn''t tha sacreligious?" Lumi¨¨re chuckled slightly.

    Suddenly, soft sobs began to reverberate beside the group of men. Lumi¨¨re glanced to the side, and saw that a child was crying by the wayside. Rather than showing off an empathetic expression, however, a grin crept up Lumi¨¨re''s face, much to the surprise of the two men beside him.

    ''It''s a perfect opportunity. All it requires is the lie of a magician.''

    Lumi¨¨re walked over and knelt beside the child, drawing its attention with his hand before smiling.

    "What''s wrong, young one?" Lumi¨¨re asked in a gentle tone of voice.

    "I-I''ve lost my mother..." The young child sobbed once more.

    "Ah, that really is a problem to cry about..." Lumi¨¨re had already reached into his pocket, procuring the music box that had been gifted to him by the lofty figure in the House of Cards, the Joker. He handed it to the young child in turn, who accepted it with curiosity, tears still streaming down their face. "If you twist this crank on the side, it will start playing a wonderful song. Will you give it a try?"

    Children, unlike adults, were more willing to mindlessly try something without convincing, as long as it was suggested by anyone around them. So, Lumi¨¨re watched as the child began to turn the crank of the music box, a sweet, soft melody reverberating throughout the air. As the child listened to the music, a smile crept up his face, and Artier and Letis standing behind Lumi¨¨re held warm expressions. They knew Lumi¨¨re was a kindhearted soul, but seeing him in such a mode of ''performance'' was a wonderous experience to them. As a magician, he was really too different from his usual self.

    When Lumi¨¨re took the music box back from the child, he reached into his pocket and procured a shiny golden coin meant for his performances, made of brass and nickel. He handed it to the child with a smile.

    "This coin is quite special. If you ever feel that you can''t decide on a choice, flip this coin and assign each choice to one of the faces. The magical elements will then decide which choice you should take, and make that choice obvious with the face that lands upwards. Isn''t that exciting?"

    The child''s face lit up bright, and they nodded succinctly.

    "Thank you, sir." They smiled.

    Lumi¨¨re looked back towards the two men behind him. Their shadows had lulled themselves into a deep slumber. He didn''t know why their shadows had gone crazy suddenly, but he also wasn''t in a hurry to investigate it. Asking around would have been a better choice. The Joker might have known something about it, so he made a mental note to inquire on his next visit to the House of Cards.

    Standing up, he whispered to the two men as he passed them by.

    "I''ve just remembered I have something to do. Please take care of helping the child find their mother. Thank you for today, as well. It was wonderful to spend time with you."

    Before the two men could even respond, Lumi¨¨re had vanished into the crowd.

 Chapter 37: Nameless

    Ainsworth had tied his white-stained hair back behind his head with a strand of red lace, and his eyes had filled with an eagerness to spill blood. He wore a white cloak that fluttered in the evening wind, a bright red insignia of a rose etched on its back. He had drawn his revolver and fired its single shot, but having missed, had resorted to drawing the sabre at his side.

    ¡°Priest of heresy, aren¡¯t you tired of living?¡± A hoarse voice spoke out. It sounded like iron scratching against a stone surface, dull and echoey in the enclosure of the backstreets of the middle borough.

    In front of Ainsworth, whose visage had become grim and fatigued, a man stood silent and unmoving, staring at the priest as blood began to soak his clothes.

    ¡®There¡¯s nothing heretical about the Lady¡­ these are just provocations from a true heretic. He wants me to let down my guard and grow angry.¡¯ Ainsworth cursed in his mind.

    The man in front of the priest seemed rather unusual, disregarding the flowing blood that continued to seep into his linens. His eyes were much too far apart to be considered ordinary, and when he opened his mouth to speak, it was obvious even in the darkness that he had two rows of uneven, rotting teeth. Moreover, his hands each bore numerous amounts of fingers that were interwoven with each other like short writhing tendrils, and his lips were caked with dried blood and a pungent, greyish liquid.

    ¡°Will you tell me where your compatriots reside, before you lose yourself to madness?¡±

    The man raised his two writhing hands of tendrils, and with his blood-caked mouth full of teeth, spoke out in his grating tone of voice.

    ¡°I¡¯m perfectly sane, priest of the thorned malefactor. Even then, I would tell you nothing.¡±

    ¡®Damn monster¡­¡¯

    Father Benedict, who had been patrolling through his designated section of the middle borough, had stumbled upon such a monster in human form. With the increase of the Peacekeepers in Leiden, he had begun to relax his heart when it came to such horrors. However, Leiden remained rife with tragedy, discrepancies, and terrifying creatures. It was not a pretty city that loved to put on festivals, or a haven of fruit-lovers in the springtime. That was only a mask for its true nature, of a city that should not exist, one filled with madness, despair, and tragedy. As a Heaven¡¯s Rose, a special sect of the Orthodoxy, who revered the Crown of Thorns, the Lady of Ivy, it was his job to investigate such matters in the area he was assigned to. Ainsworth, as an outlier when it came to power and strength, was assigned to a far less troublesome area, that being the Festival District of the middle borough, where the creatures lying in the dark would not often venture.

    It was during his patrol that he did not expect to encounter such a creature, and so he had been quite surprised and horrified. It was a mark of one of those creatures that disguised themselves as people to seem quite ¡®strange¡¯ in certain areas. Their faces, hands, and proportions were some of the key things that a Heaven¡¯s Rose would look at in each person when surveying the general area. When he had encountered the man who seemed unusual in those aspects, he had tailed him into an area where not many people gathered in order to force an encounter and eliminate him.

    However, he had given the monster far too much space to act. In an instant, it had killed three women who had been hanging their laundry in the alleyway, and the remnants of their corpses remained scattered upon the stone ground.

    Ainsworth let out a calm sigh and looked towards the sky. Heaven¡¯s Roses would use pigeons to communicate quickly with the other members of the sect stationed in their area. Recently, an illness had swept through the pigeons that the Heaven¡¯s Roses in Leiden used, and so an order had been sent in to the Capital to send over a Master of Pigeons who could raise new ones up. So, it meant that it was unlikely he could call for assistance, and would have to make due with what he had. Still, the horror in his heart had abated, and he felt himself a bit empty.

    ¡®Will I die this time? Does it matter anymore, when I¡¯ve become so small in the face of the world? Recently, have I even been finding myself enjoying the sunshine? What is the beauty in looking at what you know is much larger, much more significant than yourself? The cost of these powers is far too much, isn¡¯t it? Now that I know how large the world truly is, I can¡¯t look at anything right anymore¡­¡¯

    After the attack on the monastery, Ainsworth, who had been a member of a lower branch of the sect, had been allowed to gain intense magical power, albeit quite quickly to alleviate the growing number of incidents of the horrors in the lower and middle boroughs of Leiden. Because he had gained them without too much preparation, his mental state had taken intense strain. So, if he hadn¡¯t been patrolling, he had secluded himself in his room, ignoring Lumi¨¨re¡¯s mental state, which he would have otherwise tried to attend to as his friend. As an astrologer, having seen the breadth of the universe, it all had begun to seem insignificant.

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    ¡®Now, am I even afraid to die? Won¡¯t I see her sooner, and await Lumi¨¨re¡¯s arrival? Isn¡¯t the Lady too benevolent, to allow this despite how insignificant we are?¡¯

    However, as Father Benedict raised his blade and resigned himself to facing the creature, a familiar, gentle voice called out.

    ¡°Have you started to make new friends? Am I not enough for you, now?¡±

    Standing behind Ainsworth, the magician of the show hall, Lumi¨¨re, had suddenly appeared. On his way home from his bout at the Fencer¡¯s Association, and his time spent with the Hammond Twins, he had made his way through the backstreets of the Festival district in order to reach the flowered staircase to the lower borough quicker. He had run into Father Benedict, but by the way he had approached the enclosure, the man standing apart from Father Benedict was slightly obscured, and so Lumi¨¨re had failed to notice the discrepancies in the man¡¯s appearance, as well as the remnant corpses upon the ground.

    Ainsworth turned towards Lumi¨¨re slightly with widened, horrified eyes.

    ¡®Fuck. Why now? Why did you come here now? Are you crazy, Lumi? Why would you wander the city this late at night?¡¯ Ainsworth¡¯s thoughts became irrational, and his lips moved quickly as his emotions spiraled.

    ¡°Lumi, get out of here!¡± He yelled, raising his sword as he dashed towards the man, signaling with his free hand for Lumi¨¨re to flee. However, as Father Benedict moved out of the way, Lumi¨¨re caught a glimpse of the man standing opposite of them. He had grown a bit taller than the seconds previous, and a maniacal grin had crawled up his expression, revealing his skewn multi-rowed mouth of teeth. Quickly, his facial features began to melt off of his face, and he was left an expressionless, blank-faced individual, with softened grooves where his eyes, nose, and mouth would have been.

    It was far too late for Lumi¨¨re to flee. He had no clue why Father Benedict was stuck in an alleyway with such a horror, but he drew his sabre nonetheless, and ran to join beside him.

    ¡®This creature¡­ isn¡¯t this exactly like the human amalgamation? I can sense it¡¯s innate fear¡­ it¡¯s definitely human.¡¯

    Ainsworth glanced to the side as Lumi¨¨re approached, but it was far too late to tell him to run away, for the unusually-shaped man in front of them had also started his approch. In an instant, the skin faceless man began to writhe, and tiny tendrils on his skin turned a dark-red colour, almost line blood. In an instant, his flesh became a mixture of rot and brackish red miasma. He was a churning mass of liquid and foul stench that hurtled towards the two. Immediately, a head emerged from the mass. Its leathery skin was a pale purplish-grey, like a rotting corpse, and it lacked any semblance of eyes. The entire lower half of its face sported a gaping mouth full of thousands of needle-like teeth that looked as if they would tear human flesh to shreds with a single bite.

    Lumi¨¨re dashed to the right of the monster, caught up against the wall in the cramped alleyway. He kicked off against the wall, rotating his body to the side to avoid his blade clashing with the wall and sliced into the flesh of the creature. At the same time, Ainsworth captured its attention, the gaping maw of the beast lunging towards him at a ferocious, unavoidable speed. Without hesitation, Lumi¨¨re used the opportunity to pull the blade out of the monster''s flesh and thrust it forward once more, piercing through its cheek muscle, whilst Ainsworth simultaneously speared his blade through the monster''s jaw, intersecting with Lumi¨¨re''s.

    In an instant, the two blades caused its mouth to become unable to close. Without hesitation, Lumi¨¨re punched down on the monster''s head several times. Pain radiates through his knuckles, but harsh cracking sounds began to erupt from the creature''s skull. Its flesh became mottled and soft, and its greyish brain matter became exposed through the thin layer of skin on its head where the skull had shattered. Still, it continued to lurch forward, and Lumi¨¨re lost grasp on his blade, causing the creature to lurch with its mouth agape towards Ainsworth.

    Immediately, a silver flash filled the air.

    In an instant, a woman with bright-red hair and violet eyes had fallen from the sky, the blade she had drawn a flash of silver in the air. It speared through the creature''s mottled flesh, piercing into its exposed greyish brain matter, killing it instantly.

    Ainsworth let out an exhausted sigh, and looking up at the woman, let a slight grin creep up his face.

    "Thanks, Meraline."

    She was dressed in a white fluttering cloak, marked with an insignia of a blue rose.

    Lumi¨¨re, ignoring the sudden presence of the woman due to Father Benedict''s familiarity with her, inquired into the matter that had just transpired.

    "What was that creature, Ains? What are you doing here in the first place? What is that foolish outfit you''re wearing? Have you become a clown as I am a magician?"

    Father Benedict let out an audible ''tsk'' and began to wipe the remnant blood away from his face.

    ¡°A Nameless, spawn of the Lace of Blood who inhabit the bodies of humans and act as them in their personal lives, albeit very badly. Of course, there are outliers. You could be one, and I would be unaware of it until you lost yourself to madness and revealed yourself to me. The followers of the Lace of Blood are always quite keen to give themselves up to the Nameless, it seems. That group of heretics is full of insane, unlikeable people who I could never understand.¡±

    ¡®So the parasites are called Nameless? How ironic. No wonder I was attacked that day, then. They¡¯re all over the place¡­¡¯

    As soon as he had recovered, Ainsworth stood up and glanced at the woman standing beside him.

    "Lumi, you should go home now. I have to take care of this through official channels, along with my colleague."

    "Will you offer me an explanation later?"

    "I will." Ainsworth nodded his head. "So, wait patiently for me."

    "Very well."

 Chapter 38: An invitation

    After a long period of waiting, Father Benedict arrived back at the monastery, his once-pristine white cloak now covered in blood and grime. Without hesitation, he sat down beside Lumi¨¨re in the main hall.

    ¡°I¡¯m part of an organisation, Lumi¨¨re. It¡¯s affiliated with the orthodoxy of the Lady of Thorns. It can be considered a ¡®secretive¡¯ investigation team into the sudden uprise of the Nameless¡¯s activity. That¡¯s why I was out that night- it was a routine search around the area I was assigned. Unfortunately, I wasn¡¯t thorough enough with my searches, and several townswomen ended up dead. I haven¡¯t been able to act close with you in several weeks because of this. It¡¯s been very busy, fraught with peril, and full of guilt and sorrow.¡±

    ¡°So why act close to me now? We¡¯ve fought with each other once now. I¡¯ve become privy to several secrets, so will you now kill me?¡±

    Lumi¨¨re¡¯s worldview had become several warped in the past several weeks. Even a man like Father Benedict, who he had spent nearly his whole life with, was now considered someone that could betray him at any moment. Of course, Lumi¨¨re considered him one of the ones he cared for, one that he would change the world for and protect at all costs, but he left room for scrutiny in many aspects. He wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he were to be silenced for having come into contact with Father Benedict¡¯s secrets, especially since they were intrinsically linked to the secrets of the Church. After all, it was a deity he could trust the least.

    ¡°After conferring with my colleagues, we¡¯ve decided to offer you an invitation to ¡®Heaven¡¯s Roses¡¯. Should you accept, you will be inducted into our organisation in two days time, which would also mark the arrival of the ¡®white rose¡¯ group in Leiden. They¡¯ve been sent to fill in alongside a blue rose, who will be taking the place that Elise once had as a nun here in the monastery. We would like to continue our charitable deeds here, and it will also serve as a front for the blue rose to continue her operations in secret.¡± Father Benedict nodded succinctly. ¡°If you choose to join us, she will be your ¡®leader¡¯ as a white rose. This is due to the order of hierarchy within the organisation. The white roses are the outer members of the organisation, nearly ¡®trainees¡¯, in a sense. They aren¡¯t given an avenue to receive magical power until they exhibit multiple minor or several majour contributions to stop the rise of the Nameless or benefit Heaven¡¯s Roses. If you work hard, as I did, you will be given said avenue to magical powers, and either become an Astrologer, or an Alchemist.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve become a magic user?¡± Lumi¨¨re was a bit surprised, but once again, as he had come into contact with the intricacies of the inner world¡¯s workings, he wasn¡¯t taken aback. In such a short span of time, he had almost died on several occasions, been given an avenue to intense power, came into contact with the messenger of an evil deity, and seen the memories of a world that was not his own. Anything outside of that seemed almost insignificant, laughable. The fact that Father Benedict was also a user of magic was nothing in comparison. He was of a Cursed domain, at that.

    Father Benedict nodded in response, so Lumi¨¨re inquired further.

    ¡°You mentioned there were choices to become an Astrologer or an Alchemist. Are these truly the only choices that the orthodoxy offers? When I hear of magic in tales, I hear of a wide variety of magical powers. These names don¡¯t exactly encapsulate those stories.¡± Lumi¨¨re intentionally lied to probe information. He wondered if the orthodox church had even discovered the true essence of magic¡¯s origin.

    ¡°Apart from the two inherently ¡®Good¡¯ domains of magic, there are also two inherently ¡®Evil¡¯ domains- that being the ¡®Black Magic¡¯ and the ¡®Heretic¡¯ domains. However, because these two carry inherent evil, the church offers no avenue to obtaining them, and intentionally tries to curb the acquiring of these powers by eliminating those that are found to have them.¡±

    ¡°Besides the four basic domains of magic, there are also the unusual acquisition of strange powers from a domain called ¡®The Forever¡¯, but that¡¯s not something you need to know about as of now. I¡¯ve heard there are several other ways of obtaining power, but as they¡¯re less than reputable, deadly, or otherwise malicious, I haven¡¯t been told much of such things.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re chuckled inwardly. Many of the things that Father Benedict were speaking of were things he had already learned of long before thanks to the special Gnosis left behind by the Sinner named Poe. It was almost like he had stumbled upon an upper hand from the very start.

    ¡°Moreover, from time to time, those who gain the favour of a Deity or a Demon can gain a special ¡®boon¡¯ from them, effectively becoming a servant to a ¡®Lord¡¯. In the case of Deities, these powers are given for free, and can be used periodically at the cost of certain factors. However, for a boon gained from casting a deal with a demon, these often require sacrifices of blood, flesh, wealth, or anything that the mortal generally cares for in order to use the bestowed powers. These are far more common in our organisation. For instance, the ¡®Archangels¡¯ are some of the highest-ranking members currently active in our circles. They usually equate to an Eighth or Ninth arisen Astrologer or Alchemist, a High Priest/Priestess or a Master, respectively.

    ¡°Arisen?¡± Lumi¨¨re puzzled, genuinely confused.

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    ¡°I¡¯m currently a Third-arisen Astrologer. This means that on a staircase that ascends to the level of a deity, I have only taken three steps towards the heavens. This isn¡¯t too great of a feat in the grand scale of power, but it has allowed me enough sway to become an outlier in the Red Roses, a tier above the Blue Rose who will soon arrive at our monastery.¡±

    ¡®Has Father Benedict really been this strong of an individual all along? Has he really been fighting against these perils in secret? No, his change in demeanor was rather sudden¡­ then he must have become a user of magic recently, just like I have. To have climbed the ranks of his organisation so quickly, however, is indeed impressive. Even I who has been given a foothold by the evil deity known as ¡®The Sinner¡¯ has failed to rise above even the lowest rank of the House of Cards Organisation.¡¯

    ¡®Still, this has provided many insights. To orthodox organisations, the level of power the ¡®One of Spades¡¯ would equate to is a ¡®fledgling¡¯. This must be common information, seeing as how it has been what everyone in the House of Cards has been referring to me as for quite some time. I wonder if Poe¡¯s Gnosis has anything to say about this topic?¡¯

    ¡®But even then, do I really have a choice in joining this organisation? I¡¯m privy to their secrets, so it¡¯s likely that they will use some sort of trick to keep me silent.¡¯

    ¡°What will happen if I don¡¯t join Heaven¡¯s Roses?¡± Lumi¨¨re inquired further.

    ¡°Your memories of the past month will be erased by special means.¡±

    ¡®The past month? Isn¡¯t this too unlucky? That would erase all the knowledge I¡¯ve acquired about the inner workings of the magical world. I can¡¯t decline this offer, it seems. Not if I want to complete my goals, that is.¡¯

    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll be joining you in two days, it seems.¡±

    Father Benedict smiled softly and nodded his head in confirmation.

    ¡®Ugh, if this is the case, then I¡¯ve matters to settle quickly. It could fall back harshly on me if I don¡¯t.¡¯

    Lumi¨¨re glanced at his hand, eyeing the runes that had been painted on it in blood. It was the contract formed with Three of Hearts. He let out a sigh, and adjourned from the main hall, taking his top hat with him.

    It was almost like the two of them had stopped their familiarity entirely. Lumi¨¨re had come to know that the events of the past month had changed him, but he didn¡¯t think it would have changed his relationships too much. Unfortunately, it seems it had also changed Father Benedict, and so the bridge between them had all but shattered. They were like professional associates to each other now. It made Lumi¨¨re let out a slight, saddened chuckle.

    As Lumi¨¨re stepped out onto the street, he saw a man kneeling at the edge of a dilapidated building, confused at his appearance, before realising that he was no longer living, likely dying from starvation. In the aftermath of the attack on the monastery, most Dwindlers had stopped coming to Cobbler¡¯s street for the sake of food and shelter. After all, there were other avenues in place for them to seek out their necessities, without having to risk the possibility of another massacre taking place, albeit unlikely. Those avenues were grueling, fraught with peril, and paltry at best, but the one thing people feared above life was death, and so avoiding Cobbler¡¯s street had become a necessity. The haven that was once their monastery had become a place for those seeking aid to starve. There was no hope left on their avenue. He made a note to bury the man upon his return. That was the least he could have done, when he no longer had the potential to help him live. As he stepped out into the street, he returned to his thoughts.

    ¡®There is a strict social hierarchy in place. It¡¯s always been that way. One is either at the bottom, at the top, or a fool who becomes mistress to those at the top to pretend they¡¯re not at the bottom.¡¯ Lumi¨¨re frowned slightly, affixing the top hat once left behind by a warm-smiling magician, then stepping out into the emerging warmth of the end of spring. ¡®It¡¯s not something I mind. If I were to work each day and savour simple treasures every so often, I know I could afford happiness. However, I¡¯m burdened with a heart that feels for the people around me, those that I¡¯ve chosen to care for. If it¡¯s not me that suffers the hierarchy, then it is them, and so I have to change it. Still, is this a way upwards for me? Moreover, can I really say no? I¡¯m a heretic, a blasphemer of Gods. Can I really join an organisation that wittingly serves the orthodoxy of the Lady of Thorns?¡¯

    Lumi¨¨re let out a quiet, knowing laugh, as if he were laughing at himself, with a pained smile that crept up his face. He knew that he had fallen into a perilous, dangerous situation. Alike to the black aura that the Nameless gave off, he too gave off a similar feeling when he would use his abilities. Moreover, he had been ensnared by the will of a presumed evil deity known as ¡®The Sinner¡¯, and there was presumably no way for him to back out of the deal they had made, for he had already used the power given to him once.

    ¡®Then, once again, is the only option for a sinner like me to lie? Will I play the part of the saint, knowing I am only a plaything of fate¡¯s cruelty?¡¯ Lumi¨¨re chided. The thought was quickly shaken away from his mind, however. ¡®No, I¡¯ve already decided to walk this path by all means. Whether I have to pretend to serve a deity I do not truly believe in or not does not really matter. The Sinner, the Lady of Thorns, the Architect, these cruel powers that rest high above are beings I care not for in the slightest. They¡¯ve just been lied to by an illusionist in order for me to reap the rewards of power.¡¯

    ¡®Whether being evil in the place of good, or vice-versa is no concern of mine. Moral greyness is my best friend, where morality defines my inclination to madness. For a heretic, it¡¯s inevitable to lose my sanity. That¡¯s just the path of power I walk down. Even so, I cannot lose sight of my goal. If I forget my destination, then I really have gone mad.¡±

    Immediately after the thought, a small black streak began to trail down Lumi¨¨re¡¯s cheek, having pooled up upon his eyelid. Noticing the warmth cascading across his skin, he touched a hand to his face, recoiling with the same pained smile as before.

    ¡®My head will forever be hanging at the edge of the chopping block. One wrong move and my plans will fail. Still, isn¡¯t the idea of that ¡®performance¡¯ much more exciting?¡¯

 Chapter 39: Four of Hearts

    ¡®Recently, haven¡¯t I been too callous of a person, even when I don¡¯t mean to act that way?¡¯ Lumi¨¨re sighed inwardly, thinking about his actions in the weeks past. ¡®The careful balance that my emotions need turns me into a soulless, swayless person, it seems. It is the safest option to keep my morals grey, and my heart unwavering, even if I act different on the surface.¡¯

    ¡®For the sake of not seeming weak in the face of many strong powers, I have to act brazen, and a bit unhinged in a way that would dissuade people from messing with me. On the inside, however, I have to stay calm. Isn¡¯t this too difficult to balance?¡¯

    Lumi¨¨re let out a sigh, and stepped out into the road.

    Lumi¨¨re had previously gone to the Blackfeather Group''s establishment in order to ask Constantine for his assistance in locating a certain man he had seen prior. That man was the ''Four of Hearts'' who he had seen making his way into the House of Cards during his first arrival at the organisation''s establishment, although Lumi¨¨re hadn''t disclosed that much to him. While he wasn''t expecting Constantine to come up with anything, he had been able to identify a man alike to the one Lumi¨¨re had described, and noted his habits to pass onto him. The Four of Hearts spent a large portion of his time in the Festival of Leithes, a tavern in the middle borough''s festival district where he simultaneously also lived. He was often accompanied by a woman with stark-black hair and violet eyes, whose position as a magic-user was unknown.

    ''Three of Hearts wants me to approach this man because he''s worried that they won''t be amiable when approached by a direct competitor, but isn''t it also risky for me? Doesn''t everyone seem to be wary of Heretics? Moreover, when approaching him with business that directly relates to his competitor, won''t that make him cautious and hesitant regardless? Is he betting on the fact that we heretics make naturally good liars? Does he imagine I can convince Four of Hearts to meet with him amicably by lying?'' Lumi¨¨re let out a harsh sigh. When going out, he had recently begun to wear his performer''s attire. He thought that it would help him blend in with the general crowd of the middle borough, as if he was an entertainer from the festival district returning from work. This made it far less likely that he would be stopped and questioned by the Peacekeepers that patrolled about constantly, therefore directly decreasing the risk of his illegal weaponry being discovered.

    Still, despite his attire, he carried his sabre with him. Even though it clashed with the ''magician'' persona he was trying to portray, he wasn''t a fool who would go without his best assets in the event of danger. In the event that he was asked about it, he would say that it was part of his act- a ''swordswallower''. If they were to inquire further for any odd reason and ask him to demonstrate, they would simply look like a strange fool themselves, so it was likely that the questioning would stop at that.

    After walking through the streets of the middle borough, he eventually came to the bustling tavern lit up a bright orange by lamplight. Ornate glass windows with iron textile surfaces were dyed a dull green, and the door was wide open, bathing the area outside the tavern with a scent of rich alcohol and fragrant delicacies. He stepped inside the tavern, and was immediately greeted by the loud, booming voices of the patrons, who all seemed caught up in their own reveries, forgetting the struggles of the passing day. It wasn¡¯t like the low-end, horrid taverns within Etten-Leur, which were frequented by the craven dockworkers and coalminers, who desperately wanted to forget their painful existences. In comparison, there was less of a bitter stench, and more of an inviting, calm environment.

    Lumi¨¨re began to walk past the tables filled with laughter, and eventually came to a man and a woman sitting quietly in the corner of the tavern, discussing trivial matters. The man looked up towards Lumi¨¨re, as if inquiring as to why he was staring at them. He had a drink in his hands, which he set down quickly after. He had stark-white hair, and wore a light-brown jacket that Lumi¨¨re recalled greatly.

    ¡°May I help you, sir?¡± He asked of Lumi¨¨re.

    However, Lumi¨¨re¡¯s response, brought forward by his falsified brazen demeanor, was likely something the man didn¡¯t expect.

    "Do you want to play cards? You look like the type that would enjoy a game." Lumi¨¨re asked of the man with dull-turqoise irises. Immediately, he pulled the One of Spades card out of his pocket, revealing it to the man before him. The supposed Four of Hearts''s eyes lit up slightly, and an ambivalent smile crossed his face.

    He looked over to the woman beside him, and without any hesitation, introduced himself.

    ¡°I¡¯m Four of Hearts. I wonder why a person such as you is seeking me out in an establishment not associated with our organisation? Do you have some sort of business with me or my friend?¡±

    ¡°Your friend?¡± Lumi¨¨re eyed the woman beside him.

    ¡°Three of Diamonds. Let it be known, fledgling, that it is quite rude to approach someone so blatantly. If we were hostile, what would you have done? Could you still curse us if we attacked you because you were too forward? Are you a fool, or just plain stupid?¡± The woman¡¯s eyes furrowed slightly.

    Four of Hearts waved her comments away, speaking in conjunction with her hesitance.

    ¡°Now, now. He doesn¡¯t know of the way we partake in processions, obviously. Rather, to approach us like this knowing who we are, it¡¯s clear he knows much about us. It would be foolish to call him a fool.¡± Four of Hearts laughed slightly. His eyebrows also furrowed in turn, and he looked over towards Lumi¨¨re. ¡°After all, an enemy wouldn¡¯t approach us so blatantly, knowing our power far exceeds their¡¯s. That would be a signing of their own death warrant, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±

    Lumi¨¨re¡¯s body began to sweat slightly, and in the face of the kind man¡¯s sudden cold demeanor, he began to regret taking the deal with the Three of Hearts. It wasn¡¯t yet clear to him just how powerful the gap between them was. After all, when it came to matters of supernatural powers and sorcery, he was far too inexperienced. However, after discussing the matter with Father Benedict earlier, it had become clear that as the levels, the ¡®arising¡¯ of the staircase that led towards the heavens related to the cards, the ¡®Four of Hearts¡¯ was an intense force. In comparison to the fledgling Lumi¨¨re, he was equivalent to a ¡®practitioner¡¯ of the Alchemist domain. As the name suggested, Lumi¨¨re came to the conclusion that in a mere instant, he would surely die of some sort of ailment or poison from the man¡¯s concoctions, or he would stumble into wordplay that ultimately bound him to a contract formed by the alchemist, and he would be forced to obey it at all costs. This wasn¡¯t so much a matter of business that the Three of Hearts had contracted him to do, but a deadly conversation filled with traps and trickery that he had to navigate with the lightest step.

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    It was clear by the coy smile on Four of Heart¡¯s face that that was the case.

    "If you were a friend, you should have just said so." The man smiled genially, gesturing with his hand in a passive manner. "This Tavern has many private rooms for guests to convene in a silent setting. Come, we can discuss matters there."

    Lumi¨¨re knew that the man he assumed was the Four of Hearts had immediately grown wary of him. As he, the lady, and Lumi¨¨re stood up to adjourn to a private room, he kept eyeing Lumi¨¨re out of the corner of his eye, as if sizing up the immediate danger that he posed. Still, Lumi¨¨re followed the white-haired man and the beautiful and elegant lady past the roaring atmosphere of the tavern, eventually arriving in a small, quiet room in the back of the establishment. The floor was carpeted in a dull green, and orange lamplight bathed the room in a faint glow. They sat at a wooden table with iron edges, and two wooden benches that looked as if they would splinter into countless pieces with the slightest forceful touch.

    As Lumi¨¨re sat down in the room, he noticed that the violet gaze of Three of Diamonds had begun to glow slightly, a mark of the Astrologer¡¯s activation of power. It was clear that she had begun to analyse him using some sort of method, likely trying to ascertain his origin, or his motives. He had learned from Father Benedict, another astrologer, that they were skilled in divination methods above all things. While magic stronger than oneself could not be directly divined, anything below the user¡¯s current level of power could be gazed upon. This meant that Three of Diamonds had readily assumed that

    However, Lumi¨¨re was not a mere ¡®fledgling¡¯ heretic. He was also a servant of a lofty, strange, and mysterious deity whose royal domain rested in a world of shadow. That power that he had been bestowed- the boon of a true evil God, was likely not something that Three of Diamonds could manage to look past. Even she had begun to realise it, as she stared at Lumi¨¨re with a further mixture of vitriol, suspicion, and slight fear. Lumi¨¨re grinned slightly, before looking over at Four of Hearts as if ignoring her attempt at divining his intentions completely.

    ¡°Would you like a drink, Mr. One of Spades?¡± Four of Hearts offered with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s on me, after all. You might as well take advantage of it.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t drink often. Such a luxury would be a waste on me.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t a lie, but it was simultaneously a deliberate withholding of truth. Whenever Constantine¡¯s company had offered him a drink, he would have liked to decline, but in such a social setting where he was a guest of the ¡®Boss¡¯, it was hard to do so. So, with a bit of fabrication, he would always make such a delicacy ¡®disappear¡¯. It wasn¡¯t that he mistrusted Constantine, rather that he suspected he would be more of himself under the influence. For a man who cloaked himself in lies, being a real person was the strongest, inalienable fear.

    The last time he had drunk alcohol without inhibition was with Elise. It wasn¡¯t a matter of hiding his true self from her. His inadequacies, his sorrows, and his anguishes were all things that she accepted wholeheartedly. This wasn¡¯t a matter of her being such a genuine, kind person, but rather that it was just the bridge of connection they had forged by being friends for so long. People like Constantine could be a person like that- one that he could be real with, but one of the greatest anxieties was the first step in acting as his genuine self. After all, to avoid that fear, it was easier just to lie.

    Therefore, Lumi¨¨re was hesitant to drink, and be himself.

    Four of Hearts eyed him with a semblance of suspicion, but he discarded the offer and began to inquire into the business that Lumi¨¨re had with him. Rather, it was the woman beside him, the Three of Diamonds, that spoke first. While Four of Hearts seemed a gentler soul, Three of Diamonds was a haughtier, forward type of person.

    ¡°So, why have you sought us out?¡± It seemed she had deliberately kept the matter of her divination¡¯s failure a secret for the time being, as if trying to keep her use of her powers hidden. When in discussion with a strange figure, it was best to keep as little information from seeping out of one¡¯s words as possible, as to try and keep the upper hand, or to try and not provoke the other party¡¯s hostility. To Three of Diamonds, who had suspected her divination would work on Lumi¨¨re, only to realise he harbored a strange, profound secret, had started to feel anxiety etch itself into her heart. Still, she kept her usual demeanor about herself, as to not provoke suspicion. ¡°You must have some sort of business with us, to seek us out, and ascertain who we are.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re nodded in response.

    ¡°You¡¯re right. However, I¡¯m merely a messenger.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re held up his right hand to show off the intricate runes that had been marked in his own blood, now a faint black ink on his skin. Four of Hearts¡¯s eyes lit up slightly upon seeing the etched runes, and a grin spread upon his expression.

    ¡°Is it the current Three of Hearts?¡± He asked. ¡°Then, is it a trade deal, or an invitation to duel?¡±

    ¡°You know of him?¡± Lumi¨¨re asked, slightly surprised.

    Three of Hearts shook his head.

    ¡°It¡¯s a matter of elimination of answers. The runes on your hand point to a contract- the power of an alchemist. This can only be part of the ¡®hearts¡¯ domain. However, there¡¯s often no reason for a higher power to seek a lower number of the suit. This can only mean that the person below me, the current ¡®Three of Hearts¡¯, whoever he may be, wants to advance. It¡¯s not a hard thought process to parse through, is it? So, my question still stands. Is this an invitation to business, or a duel?¡±

    Lumi¨¨re¡¯s sheepish grin didn¡¯t distract from his surprise. He knew it wasn¡¯t a hard process of thought, but Four of Hearts had thought it out almost immediately, as if his mind was capable of calculating such things in a split second. Still, he kept his calm demeanor about him, and replied succinctly.

    ¡°It¡¯s a business deal, supposedly. He wants to meet in a non-hostile manner, in the House of Cards. I¡¯m merely an intermediary to show goodwill in this regard. After all, what do I have to gain from fighting you?¡±

    Three of Diamonds beside them nodded in agreement.

    ¡°This definitely was a good way to go about it, but you were far too brazen in your approach. If you had been dealing with anyone else, you may have been killed on the spot. This isn¡¯t the House of Cards, after all. Killing isn¡¯t exactly prohibited in the real world, at least not in this manner.¡± She spoke in response.

    Three of Diamonds had already begun to bow to Lumi¨¨re¡¯s presence, having discovered that he was a strange, mysterious person who couldn¡¯t be divined. However, Four of Hearts still anticipated having the upper hand, and so Lumi¨¨re had to continue to be brazen, and a little unhinged. So, to her words, Lumi¨¨re only had one more thing to say.

    ¡°You¡¯re still human, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    Three of Diamonds and Four of Hearts looked at him with strange expressions, which quickly filled with a slight sense of fear as he spoke once more.

    ¡°If anything were to go wrong, one bullet would be enough to ease my worries.¡±

 Chapter 40: Proposal of an informant

    ¡®A heretic, even a fledgling, is still quite crazy, aren¡¯t they?¡¯ Four of Hearts began to muse in his mind.

    Four of Hearts, Three of Diamonds, and Lumi¨¨re had been walking through the streets of the middle borough, heading towards Mercurial Street, where the House of Cards rested.

    ¡°I have someone I wish to save.¡± Four of Hearts spoke suddenly.

    Lumi¨¨re looked at him suspiciously, as if the man had suddenly gone crazy and wished to speak of nonsensical things.

    ¡°That is why I seek power. Isn¡¯t it good to talk about these things? We may work together in the future, so shouldn¡¯t we get to know each other like this?¡±

    Three of Diamonds beside him seemed less than pleased to entertain the idea, but Lumi¨¨re chuckled slightly, keeping with the unhinged, calm persona.

    ¡®Isn¡¯t that too presumptuous? What if this deal with Three of Hearts fails? Of course, this is the only part I have in it, so afterwards, I have no reason to stick to his side. Still, how do you figure I will side with you, or even interact with you in any way? These are powers that far exceed mine, so I would rather not interact with you if I have the option. Increasing the risk to myself when there¡¯s no benefit for me is not in my bets interests. I am a mouse who acts like a lion at the current moment, but that means that ultimately, I am still a small figure in this strange and mysterious world.¡¯

    Still, Lumi¨¨re didn¡¯t voice his concerns. So, as usual, he acted his part.

    "What about you, One of Spades? Why do you walk this pathway to madness?"

    "I have someone I wish to kill."

    ''That''s right. Inevitably, anyone connected to the death of Elise will die by my hands. I''ve made up my mind to do that much. It¡¯s not too deviated from the truth.¡¯

    Three of Diamonds, who had been eying Lumi¨¨re with suspicion, now had true fear etched on her face. She had now been completely convinced that the man before her was an incomprehensible, crazy person. Not only could he avoid her divination attempts, but she was sure that his supposed inclination to violence would manifest in horrid ways. If someone were to bump into him on the street, she wondered if that person would continue to live much longer. The grin that he held on his face while speaking of such things was completely unlike anything she could comprehend.

    ¡®These heretics, aren¡¯t they really unlike us? As an astrologist, I lose my morality, and as an alchemist, Four of Hearts will lose his humanity, but isn¡¯t the loss of sanity too unbecoming? Isn¡¯t the man before me kind of alike to a monster more than a human?¡¯

    Lumi¨¨re had already caught wind of the change in Three of Diamonds¡¯s demeanor, which caused a knowing, pleased smile to rest on his face. It meant that his persona was having a positive effect, at least in the way he had intended. As long as he could directly pacify those stronger than him, there wasn¡¯t a need to risk his life in matters such as these. Any corners he could cut on the long road to his goal was worth the effort. As for those goals, he had ultimately coalesced all his thoughts into two complete wishes. First, he had decided that he wanted to find and kill the person or persons behind the death of Elise. He felt that it was the only thing that would pacify the bittersweet loneliness in his heart. Second, he had decided to use the power he had been granted to change the horrid nature of the world¡¯s system. How he was going to do such an insane thing was uncertain to him, but he knew it was possible. After all, insane things seemed to be easy to such a domain of heresy and craziness. If that wasn¡¯t the case, however, then he could lie to himself and tell himself it was possible. After all, believing something was possible was the best path to fulfilling it.

    Before long, the three had arrived at the building that was blanketed in a familiar fog. In front of the ornate wooden door, a man with ochre skin dressed in a simple attendant¡¯s outfit stood, ready to greet guests. The three approached the man one-by-one, showing their cards to the man before being allowed access. As the man opened the door for Four of Hearts, he spoke genially as usual.

    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Osiris.¡±

    The attendant nodded in response, and the three eventually met once more within the hall. Like every time Lumi¨¨re had visited the House of Cards, the mysterious and lofty figure dressed in black rested comfortably in his seat at the edge of the hall. He had a satisfied, coy grin on his expression, and he seemed to watch as Lumi¨¨re waltzed into the building. Lumi¨¨re tried to avoid his gaze, but it was far too piercing to ignore. Still, he had matters to attend to, so he pushed it to the edge of his mind and turned to the side. At the far edge of the hall, there was a large bar where drinks were being served by a bartender. On one of the seats in front of the counter, a familiar form took shape before Lumi¨¨re¡¯s eyes. He gestured to the two beside him, and gradually approached a man who sat in front of the counter, leisurely sipping on a drink.

    ¡°Mr. Three of Hearts.¡± Lumi¨¨re spoke out. ¡°The matter you¡¯ve requested of me has been settled.¡±

    The man turned around in his seat with an expression full of surprise, eyeing the three who stood before him.

    ¡°So it has.¡± He smiled.

    Immediately, Lumi¨¨re felt the skin of his hand heat up slightly. Glancing down, he realised that the bloody ink on his hand had dissipated, and the runes of the contract no longer remained. He had been freed of its constraints, having completed the matters of the deal.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard you want to do business, Mr. Three of Hearts.¡± Four of Hearts spoke genially. ¡°However, your terms must be quite reasonable to be so confident in reaching out. I hope we can discuss those terms privately.¡±

    Three of Hearts, an amicable businessman, nodded in agreement.

    ¡°I wonder, however, if Mr. One of Spades and the friend you¡¯ve brought along are interested in joining us in discussion? Judging by the mark on your hand- you¡¯re an astrologist, aren¡¯t you? Your skills may come quite in handy.¡±

    Three of Diamonds¡¯s eyes widened slightly, but her apprehension remained.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind it, if they¡¯re open to it.¡± Four of Hearts shook his head. ¡°However, I don¡¯t see what place they have in our matters. Is it that you don¡¯t intend to propose trading our cards?¡±

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    ¡°Well, it¡¯s something of the sort. I suggest you hear me out before you assume anything, though.¡± Three of Hearts grinned.

    Three of Diamonds, still hesitant, nodded her head. As long as she was accompanied by her friend, she was agreeable to at least hear him out. However, Lumi¨¨re was not so convinced.

    ¡°Why would I follow you? How does hearing you out benefit me? Aren¡¯t you just privy to waste my time, you strange conman?¡± Lumi¨¨re spoke with furrowed brows.

    ¡°Now, now. There¡¯s no need to levy insults. I¡¯m certain to propose a deal that would benefit you very much. After all, you lack money, don¡¯t you? Someone as poor as you should jump at the chance to make a bit of coin.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re¡¯s eyebrow twitched, not an effect of his persona, but rather genuine annoyance. When it came to matters of money, Lumi¨¨re tended to be quite sensitive. After all, he had grown up not knowing a life with it. Still, he was agreeable to such a thing. In recent days, where his passion for his work as a magician had faltered, anything otherwise that could make him money had become much more enticing as an option.

    So, the three followed Three of Hearts into a private room of the House of Cards, Lumi¨¨re still ignoring the piercing gaze of the Joker on his back. As they sat down, they all eyed Three of Hearts intently, awaiting his proposal. Suddenly, without any forewarning, Three of Hearts spoke out.

    "Do you all know of Johan Basque?" Three of Hearts asked of them.

    Four of Hearts shook his head in response.

    "Of course. To be an alchemist, shouldn''t you know of such a man?"

    However, Lumi¨¨re and Three of Diamonds held puzzled expressions on their faces. Looking over towards Four of Hearts, they seemed expectant of him to explain, so with a humoured smile, he began to comply.

    "Johan Basque is quite well-known in the medical community. He''s an innovator in the field of surgical practice, and a benefactor who runs a charitable foundation that caters to children and the elderly who couldn''t typically afford expensive treatment. For alchemists, whose domains of power specialise in healing, he is a figure we look up to."

    Three of Hearts nodded in agreement.

    "However, there''s something even you don''t know, Mr. Four of Hearts."

    "And that would be?" He replied with furrowed brows.

    "Johan Basque happens to be the current ''Five of Hearts''."

    There was a slight bit of shock on Four of Hearts''s expression. However, after a bit, he calmed himself once more as it began to make sense.

    "So, then what is it you''ve brought me here for? Do you intend to point me in the right direction so that I may challenge him to a duel? Should I challenge such a kind individual to a fight that may irreversibly harm him and his efforts? What is your game here, Mr. Three of Hearts?"

    However, Three of Hearts''s grin didn''t dissipate in the slightest.

    "Did you know that since Mr. Basque has opened his charitable foundation, the number of natural deaths of elderly patients had increased by a sizeable margin?"

    "There was a war. Isn''t it reasonable that the elderly would die of many causes?" Four of Hearts argued.

    Three of Hearts nodded in agreement.

    "However, if that''s the case, then why has Mr. Basque paid off the families of the deceased in order to convince them to forgo a burial in favour of cremation? Moreover, he tends to rush this process, in such a way that families aren''t able to witness the state of the corpses."

    "What are you insinuating, Three of Hearts?" Three of Diamonds inquired, her eyebrows furrowed. "Are you saying that Johan Basque, rather, the Five of Hearts is using these bodies for some purpose, and disposes of the evidence in what he considers the cleanest way possible?"

    "That''s exactly what I''m insinuating. It¡¯s not just an unsubstantiated statement, either.¡±

    ¡°Then, what is your proposal, Three of Hearts?¡± Four of Hearts asked, unconvinced.

    "So, if this is the case, then here''s my proposal. Why don''t we expose his dealings to officials, and at the moment he''s about to be arrested, use the confusion to steal his card?"

    "You want to do a three-way switch?" Four of Hearts smiled, quite humoured. ¡°I¡¯ll take the Five of Hearts, you¡¯ll take the Four of Hearts, and the Three of Hearts will be forfeited. Is that it? Are you satisfied with that much?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m very satisfied with that much. Even if you don¡¯t participate for the sake of taking down a terrible, corrupt individual, aren¡¯t you satisfied with the prospect of advancing your abilities?¡±

    To Lumi¨¨re, the talk of such strength was too much to think of. After all, he hadn¡¯t advanced past the initial stages of power. He was still a ¡®fledgling¡¯ in terms of magical ability- far above a normal individual, yet so far away from the three others who sat in the room alongside him.

    ¡°So, if this is the case, then why am I here?¡± Lumi¨¨re inquired. ¡°If this is all some grand scheme for the sake of advancement, how does this benefit me? Moreover, how am I useful in this situation? Aren¡¯t you simply going to lead the Peacekeepers to his location to discover his misdeeds?¡±

    Three of Hearts shook his head succinctly.

    ¡°That¡¯s not it, my dearest heretic. You¡¯re quite useful in this situation. After all, you¡¯re the greatest liar among us. How will we make him confess his sins in the event that we mistime it, and the Peacekeepers fail to discover evidence of his crimes? If you can use those ¡®illusory murmurs¡¯ of his to terrify him and shake his emotional state, it may lead him to unconsciously confess, or at least act in a suspicious way that would lead the Peacekeepers to discover more. Moreover, as a ¡®blasphemer¡¯, you are the only one amongst us with the natural physical capability to steal the Five of Hearts card in a split second. As far as the plan goes, you might just be the one key element of it all.¡± Three of Hearts grinned. ¡°As for enticement, Johan Basque is indeed a wealthy individual. If you¡¯re to steal the card from him, the Peacekeepers definitely won¡¯t notice if several, dozens, or even hundreds of bank notes were to simultaneously go missing. After all, isn¡¯t money a great motivator for someone as financially defunct as you are?¡±

    Lumi¨¨re¡¯s eyebrow twitched once more, and Three of Diamonds let out a stifled laugh. At the same time, Four of Hearts nodded his head in agreement. So, Lumi¨¨re simply struck away the annoyance from his heart, and nodded his head to signal his agreement with the plan.

    ¡°Moreover, someone like you¡­ you wouldn¡¯t really be okay with letting someone like him keep going with his insane acts, would you?¡± Three of Hearts grinned.

    Lumi¨¨re¡¯s lips quivered slightly, almost failing to keep a calm expression.

    ¡°No, not at all.¡±

    Watching this, Four of Hearts began to think humourously.

    ''Hm. So even a strange, unhinged fellow like One of Spades is prone to involving himself in matters that relate to the peril of women and children...''

    ¡°Well, will you accompany us, Ms. Three of Diamonds? Your divination will prove useful in gauging our inclination towards danger. Of course, you won¡¯t be able to divine anything about Mr. Basque, or Four of Hearts, but you¡¯ll be able to divine the inclination towards danger of myself, yourself, and Mr. One of Spades. Since we¡¯ll be traveling as a group, this will surely be more than enough to prove useful. It is the determination of fate by proxy.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re quite optimistic about many things, aren¡¯t you? Do you think fate is some one-track determined event? What if your faith was misplaced? What if I divined my fate to be completely safe, and ignored yours, only to betray you at a crucial moment, and leave you stranded in the midst of danger? I would be completely safe, but that would mean that my fate was completely separate from yours, which was destined to be dangerous. Isn¡¯t this just an example of your foolishness?¡±

    ¡°You call it foolishness, but I call it trust. After all, aren¡¯t there many stakes involved, Ms. Noblewoman?¡±

    Three of Diamonds¡¯s eyes widened suddenly, and there was a fear in her eyes that rivaled what she felt after discovering the existence of Lumi¨¨re¡¯s secret. In unison, Four of Hearts¡¯s once-calm expression shook slightly. Never had there been any indication towards Three of Hearts that Three of Diamonds was of noble birth. Still, this man spoke with utmost confidence as if it were true. This suggested that by all means, the man who was able to gather information and determine the identity of ¡®Five of Hearts¡¯ Johan Basque, also knew the identity of Three of Diamonds.

    And if he knew the identity of Three of Diamonds, was it a far stretch to assume that he also knew the identity of Four of Hearts, and of the magician, Lumi¨¨re Croft?

 Chapter 41: Preparations

    As soon as all members involved had agreed to the terms, they immediately set out into the emerging night. The streets were cast in a faint orange glow. Gradually, the people who frequented the festival district dispersed. Various motorised carriages filled with labourers and salarymen littered the streets, filled with a mixture of laughter, satisfaction, anguish, and tired sighs. Motorised carriages, although far less common, demonstrated their luxury amidst the crowds of horses. During the emerging night, it was when people began to walk less. This was partly because travel by multi-tiered public carriage was fairly cheap, and so it only made sense for a weary labourer to conserve what little remained of their stamina in order to come home to their wives and enjoy leisure time with their children. Recently, this was also because many women had begun to go missing in the late hours of the night, and so it was thought to be safer to travel along with a group instead.

    Lumi¨¨re knew more of this danger than most, however. He knew that because of the rise in the activity of the evil cult who worshipped the evil orthodox deity that Peacekeepers had begun to flood into Leiden. However, despite their presence, not a single person began to feel safe. Despite their numbers, the Peacekeepers were just normal people. This was why the teams of magic users like Heaven¡¯s Roses had been formed under the watch of the other orthodox churches. Although, most people didn¡¯t know of their existence, and so they were left to live in fear. Still, it wasn¡¯t as if the four who walked through the streets of the middle borough were very ordinary people.

    Two alchemists, an astrologer, and a heretic. Who among them could fear a mere monster, when they posed just as much danger among the streets?

    Four of Hearts and Three of Hearts both carried small leather briefcases along with them, while Three of Diamonds had draped herself in a hood.

    ¡°So we¡¯ll be hoping to find him in his most beloved establishment, and then trail Mr. Basque until there¡¯s an opportune moment to alert the Peacekeepers?¡±

    Three of Hearts nodded in response.

    ¡°That¡¯s about it. I¡¯ll explain more in the moment. In the meantime, there¡¯s some preparations we need to make.¡± He spoke with a tone of seriousness that was unlike him. It was as if, under the stress of the operation, Three of Hearts had become an entirely different individual.

    ¡°Preparations?¡± Lumi¨¨re inquired, curious.

    ¡°Yes. There¡¯s still the matter of Three of Diamonds¡¯s divination. Moreover, there are certain precautions that Four of Hearts is able to take in the event that your ¡®illusory murmurs¡¯ fail to bring about the outcome we desire.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re speaking about ¡®that¡¯ concoction?¡± Four of Hearts let out a slight chuckle. ¡°Won¡¯t that effect us as well? I feel as if failing the operation entirely would be better than making use of that.¡±

    Three of Hearts shrugged in response. ¡°It¡¯s not a problem if you aim well. Isn¡¯t it no matter? Or is it an issue of skill?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll be no problem.¡± Uncharacteristically, Four of Hearts¡¯s eye began to twitch.

    However, watching over this interaction, Lumi¨¨re grew quite confused.

    ¡®Concoction? A matter of aim? Are they fooling around now?¡¯ Lumi¨¨re pondered. ¡®No, it¡¯s not a joke to them. Four of Hearts is quite a calm individual, so otherwise it wouldn¡¯t make Four of Hearts react in such a way. Then, is it something related to ¡®alchemy¡¯, which implies a fine science? A mixture of chemicals perhaps? Then, will he put it into a flask and throw it, or will he simply run up and splash it onto the parties involved? Moreover, what kind of effect could it possibly have to be able to replace the ¡®illusory murmurs¡¯ I can conjure? Will those murmurs even affect someone as powerful as that surgeon, Johan Basque? There¡¯s a gap of four levels between me and him¡­¡¯

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s important that we try and avoid a battle at all costs. Even with the four of us, there¡¯s a large chance that he will kill us all, even if he suffers serious injury in the process.¡±

    ¡°Is a ¡®Five¡¯ card that strong?¡± Lumi¨¨re grew curious, abandoning his ¡®One of Spades¡¯ persona slightly. While it was important for him to keep that unapproachable, confident aura going, it was also important that he knew what he was getting himself into.

    Four of Hearts seemed to lose himself in thought for a moment, before answering succinctly.

    ¡°You¡¯re aware that the ¡®cards¡¯ are like instructional booklets, right?¡± Four of Hearts asked of him.

    Still, Lumi¨¨re looked puzzled. So, Four of Hearts continued.

    ¡°When one advances to that ¡®next step¡¯, it involves a very complex ritual. Usually, one would do so after beseeching a Deity to watch over them and make sure they remain safe. They would have to participate in a ¡®trial¡¯ that would try to shake their wits- making them lose large amounts of their humanity, morality, sanity, or their very soul. Moreover, those trials take place in a hellish, lonely space apart from our world, filled with dangers and strife that threaten one¡¯s life at every turn. However, to we bearers of these cards, we are allowed to skip such a thing. Although, this leads us to bear a harsh cost by failing to adapt to our powers in such a short amount of time. For us, it¡¯s almost inevitable that we will lose all of ourselves. It¡¯s the cost of a shortcut- the cost of becoming a godlike being.¡±

    ¡®A hellish space? Trial? Isn¡¯t that a bit like Mr. Sinner¡¯s labyrinth? Then, because I¡¯m connected to such a grand being, does it take the place of that ¡®trial¡¯, even if I were to have been exempted from it originally?

    ¡°Godlike? Can we really become so strong?¡± Lumi¨¨re inquired further.

    ¡°You don¡¯t even know that much, little fledgling? The ¡®doors¡¯ you open, the path you take, the steps you climb- it¡¯s all a journey towards the peak of power. While I¡¯m not sure why

    ¡°Do you think that Deities can change the order of the world?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t they already preside over the world¡¯s order?¡±

    Lumi¨¨re nodded in agreement.

    ¡°Then, perhaps I should become a deity myself.¡± Lumi¨¨re shrugged.

    ¡°What could you possibly want to become a deity just to change?¡±

    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    In response, Lumi¨¨re just began to turn his head from side to side, glancing at every seeming event that was happening around them. The carriages that drove past, the few Dwindlers of the middle borough who refused to move themselves, and the people that stayed out late at night, dancing about in drunken states. In response to his question, Lumi¨¨re met the gaze of Four of Hearts. In response, Lumi¨¨re smiled gently.

    ¡°Guess.¡±

    Four of Hearts let out a sigh.

    "Well, this is all to say that the first ten stages of a domain of power, the user is still considered ''human'' However, those that reach the final three of those thirteem stages are not so much.

    "If they''re not human, then what are those that reach the final three stages considered?"

    Four of Hearts just shook his head in response.

    "I''m unsure of that. This is just what I''ve been able to gather by associating with the House of Cards. Of course, the higher one wishes to raise themselves, the greater mental and physical costs will accumulate. Whether or not you could even make it that far is sheer luck, willpower, and the kindness of fate and deities." Four of Hearts sighed. "However, this means that ultimately, Johan Basque is as human as us. However, underestimating him based on that fact is a fool''s game. We can anticipate the type of abilities he has based on his connection to the ''Hearts'', or rather, the Alchemical Domain. However, that doesn''t reveal to us whether he has also contracted himself with a demon or deity. He could have some sort of mysterious power we can''t anticipate, and so there are many unknowns to us. This is why we have to divine your future for the sake of our safety."

    "Can our safety really be determined by a divination?"

    Four of Hearts shook his head.

    "Unlike destiny, fate is never set in stone. The divination will reveal the most likely outcome, but even the most likely outcome in a pool of a thousand outcomes could be a meager one percent chance. Caution and preparation will still be our best friend in this scenario."

    Soon, they had come to a lonely, silent street. Immediately, Three of Hearts reached into his briefcase and pulled out a small twine-bound satchel and threw it towards Four of Hearts.

    "Spread the saltpeter. I''ll prepare the necessary ingredients for the concoction." Three of Hearts spoke to him, before turning towards Three of Diamonds. "In the meantime, please divine my future, Miss."

    Three of Diamonds still seemed hesitant towards the man, but she nodded her head to his request, and reached into the pockets of her robes, procuring a large deck of cards with intricate designs on their back.

    "Little fledgling, do you know how to disguise yourself yet? Have you become adept at all with your illusion painting?" Three of Hearts asked of Lumi¨¨re.

    Lumi¨¨re shook his head, his expression still a bit perplexed. Countless new things were being thrown at him in such a short span of time, and he began to wonder if the reward of money had become worth it.

    ''Illusion painting... I recall having the ability to paint images into the air, but can I really disguise myself with such a thing? Moreover, to an astrologer who can grasp insights of the world- will such a thing really work against Johan Basque?''

    Three of Hearts reached into his briefcase once more and procured a large black cowl, which he threw over to Lumi¨¨re. Without hesitance, Lumi¨¨re thanked him before draping it over his head, casting his countenance in shadow. Simultaneously, the two alchemists, having finished casting saltpeter around their perimeter, placed their hands against their mouths and bit into their flesh, casting blood onto their skin. Intricate runes began to form themselves with the blood, and were illuminated a bright green colour in an instant, the marks on their hands alighting alongside the glow. The runes gradually disappeared along with the blood, and their faces became obscured by bright-silver half masks.

    ''Did they just turn their blood into masks? Is that something alchemists are capable of? In the same realm as turning coal into gold- is such a thing really possible?''

    "Saltpeter will protect us for the time being. Those monsters that wander when night breaks- the Nameless hate this substance. We can stage our operation in this obscured alleyway without worry. No one will choose to wander here willingly out of fear either. The only thing that may interrupt us is the patrols of Peacekeepers or the church''s magic users, so we''ll be sure to work as quick as possible to avoid that." Three of Hearts grinned.

    Three of Diamonds had already knelt on the ground as he spoke, placing the cards beside her after shuffling the deck. She then drew three cards placing them face-down on the ground in front of her.

    "Since we''re the same rank in terms of our domains, I can only do tarot divination. It could be fruitless, obscured, or vague, but this is all I can manage. I might be able to glean something more from One of Spades, but for you this is all I can do." Three of Diamonds sighed quietly.

    Lumi¨¨re watched intently at the process.

    ''A tarot divination? Isn''t this only for bored housewives or scammers who prey on people for the sake of money? Can something like this really bring about mystical answers?''

    Three of Diamonds flipped over each card in succession. The past on the left, the present in the middle, and the future on the right, each representing a facet of time within Three of Hearts''s life. For the sake of the operation, the present was the most important.

    As this could meant the near-present, and all that encapsulates it, the result was heavily necessary to glean.

    "The present has drawn the ''Six of Wands''. It''s a card that represents certain success or victory. In seeing such a thing, I don''t think there''s too much to worry about in terms of this operation, although it''s a very vague result."

    Humoured, Three of Hearts nodded.

    "And what of the other two? For curiosity''s sake, of course."

    Three of Diamonds looked back down to the other cards, and her eyebrows furrowed slightly.

    "The past is shrouded in a strange, obscuring mist. I can''t recognise the face of the card. Have you really lives so strange a life that not even physical divination can glance into it?"

    Three of Hearts just kept a characteristic smirk upon his expression.

    "And the future?"

    Three of Diamonds looked down once more.

    "It''s the Hanged man. However, it''s reversed... this implies sacrifice, but not in a noble sense. It will be an unnecessary sacrifice. You will be a martyr with no purpose."

    "That''s fine with me." Three of Hearts laughed heartily. "I''ve always wanted to die with conviction. Even unnecessary sacrifice implies that I had some."

    After cleaning up the cards, Three of Diamonds turned towards Four of Hearts.

    "For One of Spades, I can go a bit more in-depth. Will you assist me in accessing a dream divination?" She asked of him.

    Four of Hearts nodded, understanding immediately. As Lumi¨¨re watched the two converse, Four of Hearts reached into his briefcase and procured a small glass vial. He walked over towards Three of Diamonds, who was still kneeling, and began to support her with his arm. He then uncorked the glass vial and held it up to her nose. As soon as she caught the scent of the substance inside, her eyes glassed over before rolling back, and her eyelids shut almost immediately. She slumped back into Four of Hearts''s arms, and he knelt behind her as she fell into slumber. Lumi¨¨re''s eyebrows raised slightly, and he inquired into the matter.

    "Will she be alright?" She asked Four of Hearts.

    "She''ll be fine. It''s just a matter of falling asleep quickly in order to do a dream divination. We''re short on time, so this was the only choice." Four of Hearts shook his head. "I''ll wake her up with a separate substance in a moment. She just needs ample time to glean any necessary information."

    After a short time, he brought another uncorked vial to her nose, and breathing its scent in unconsciously, life filled her eyes as her eyelids opened. Her blank, shaking gaze moved towards Lumi¨¨re in an instant.

    "The operation will go fine. There was nothing of dangerous note that I saw."

    However, her whole body seemed to tremble. Four of Hearts and Lumi¨¨re noticed this much. She kept her gaze upon Lumi¨¨re, although it seemed she couldn''t bring herself to meet his eyes. She was lost i her racing thoughts.

    ''His past... his present... his future... I saw nothing. There was only darkness, as if he was cloaked in it. Besides that, there was a pair of violet eyes staring down at me. However, the sounds of crows echoed throughout the darkness, like an army of thousands... who is this man, who reveals nothing to me?''

    ''Rather, is this unhinged ''One of Spades'' even human?''

 Chapter 42: Persona

    Three of Hearts soon turned towards Lumi¨¨re, who stood idly.

    ¡°Now, it¡¯s your turn to prepare, little fledgling. Since Four of Hearts is still preparing ¡®that¡¯ concoction, we may as well get you up to speed on the plans.¡±

    ¡°Is there really that much for me to prepare?¡±

    Three of Hearts nodded. ¡°Of course, unless you want to succumb to madness. If that is where you want your path to end up, then feel free to continue on without preparation. Only a fool marches into danger without making sure he¡¯ll have the upper hand. I don¡¯t think you¡¯re quite like that, so you should get into the habit, even if you plan on acting reckless as usual.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re¡¯s eyebrow twitched slightly, but he nodded in response.

    Three of Hearts then reached into his briefcase once more, procuring a small wooden idol. He then handed it over to Lumi¨¨re, who accepted it with curiosity. It was a carving of a women with closed eyes and clasped hands. However, the hands were clasping a dagger which had been thrust into the woman''s heart, and thick streams of red blood were painted flowing from the woman''s eyes.

    "It''s an idol of that evil Deity- the ''Lace of Blood''. Shatter it before you initiate your plan. At your level, this should offer you some reasonable level of increased physical abilities.¡±

    ¡°How do you know so much about individual abilities? Is it that you¡¯ve discussed with those who belong to other domains? If you know of my abilities, then will you tell me of what I¡¯ll acquire by advancing?¡±

    ¡°A merchant needs many connections.¡± Three of Hearts shrugged, a smirk curling up his expression. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I talk with many people, gather information, and trade things? I¡¯ve come to know of the abilities of the ¡®One of Spades¡¯ because I have once known a One of Spades. Now, that person is you, and so I know of your abilities. Of course, I can tell these to you, for a price.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re¡¯s eyebrow twitched slightly, but he then looked back down towards the idol.

    ¡°Then you should know of the repercussions for using ¡®that¡¯ ability?¡±

    Four of Hearts and Three of Diamonds faces turned grim as they heard Lumi¨¨re¡¯s words. They too had come to know of the abilities of ¡®blasphemy¡¯ and its effects on the user. It was not often that a high-level user of Heresy made an appearance in the House of Cards. That was mostly because they had succumbed to madness, or had to invent a persona in order to cope, and had to actively play their persona¡¯s role, which gave no time to make an appearance. There were many tales of high-ranking figures in society who were heretics, who pretending to be a person without madness in order to cope with the loss of their sanity. It was well-known that a large cause of mental stress was the use of ¡®blasphemy¡¯, which for some unknown reason, caused the user to experience mental anguish and increase their inclination to grow mad.

    ¡°Are you wondering why I would stake the plan on such a dangerous ability, knowing it would harm you? It just doesn¡¯t make sense that you would agree to use it, just for the sake of a bit of money. Of course, I know this much. The entire reason I proposed this to you is because there¡¯s a solution to the problem.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re let out an annoyed sigh.

    ¡°If there was a solution, you should have said it already. You¡¯re messing around too much.¡± Lumi¨¨re spoke sternly. ¡°So, what is it?¡±

    ¡°You must wear a mask.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re looked at him with a puzzled expression. He raised his hand and pointed at his face, which had grown pale against the night air.

    ¡°No, not that kind of mask.¡± Four of Hearts let out a laugh. ¡°He¡¯s referring to how heretics deeper in the domain fabricate ¡®personas¡¯ in order to distract themselves from the madness. In a way, it¡¯s like dumping the burden of insanity onto a different person in order to keep your ¡®true self¡¯ somewhat sane. I doubt you¡¯ve felt the effects of your powers yet, but it may be something you¡¯ll have to do in the future. However, with the burden of using ¡®blasphemy¡¯ ever-present, Three of Hearts is suggesting that this is something you should get to now.¡±

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    ¡°Create a persona? Do you mean I have to act differently, or convince myself that I am another person entirely?¡±

    Four of Hearts shrugged.

    ¡°How would I know? However, aren¡¯t you heretics the greatest liars? Shouldn¡¯t something like that be easy for you?¡±

    ¡®Isn¡¯t this too much work for a bit of money?¡¯ Lumi¨¨re lamented inwardly. ¡®No, that¡¯s not really the case. In the future, as I grow stronger, people will come to challenge me in turn, and I may have to pay my way out of those situations, as per the rules of the House of Cards. Moreover, I need to pay for equipment, crystal pendants, and various magical assistance from other domains. I¡¯m sure there will be far greater expenses than I¡¯ve been forced to experience up to now. Isn¡¯t the magical world far harder to live in, in such a way? If I can earn money, I should try my hardest to do so. It¡¯s all for the sake of my greater goal, and for the sake of finding and killing whoever was behind it all.¡¯

    Lumi¨¨re sighed, before turning back to the Three of Hearts.

    ¡°I can do such a thing, but it¡¯ll take some time to prepare.¡±

    ¡°Johan Basque tends to spend a lot of time at the brothel he frequents, and even then, it isn¡¯t nearly the time that he usually arrives. You have more than enough time to prepare.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re nodded, and gradually began to distance himself from the three.

    As Lumi¨¨re knelt down facing the alley wall, Three of Hearts and Four of Hearts turned their attention back to the concoction he had been preparing in a glass vial procured from his own briefcase. It was common for alchemists to carry briefcases as they did; often filled with various flecks of metal, salts, minerals, and various chemicals used for alchemical concoctions.

    "Horn Silver, aqua vitae, and copper flecks. Shouldn''t this be enough, in the event that One of Spades can''t carry out his task?"

    "Procuring the card will become much harder if that''s the case, but at the very least, this will ensure that the Peacekeepers will view him with suspicion and hostility." Three of Hearts nodded.

    "Philter ''e Furor. It''s quite terrifying, isn''t it?" Four of Hearts marvelled. The mixture in the small flask he held swirled violently, like bright-yellow plasma timged with swirls of dark-black. It would cause a frenzy of confusion in tbe area it was thrown, allowing the group to portray a narrative to their favour.

    In the meanwhile, Lumi¨¨re had accustomed himself to his other abilities which he hadn''t had much time to practice using. Gradually, he enacted his plan.

    Lumi¨¨re''s vision began to shake, and his body trembled excessively. As the mark on his hand lit up brightly, he had stacked several ''illusory murmurs'' on top of each other, echoing endlessly around him in a tone only he could hear. Quickly, they began to pour fabricated memories, mantras, worldviews, and thoughts into his head- a personality, all a lie. He was a crazy, unhinged man, who had no qualms about rushing into danger for personal gain. He was violent, but hid behind a calm and confident persona that made it easier for him to interact with others. He was proficient in combat, and had near-to-no qualms about killing others. He was everything that at times, Lumi¨¨re wished he could become.

    Besides the murmurs, his own thoughts began to race wildly. ''Crazy? Become crazy, shouldn''t I? Shall I become mad? To bow to this base instinct, shouldn''t I be reckless? Overly-confident perhaps? Will many fall to my hands in the future?"

    Gradually, Lumi¨¨re''s thoughts began to warp as he transitioned into his ''new'' persona, and enveloped a different thought process. The colour of his hair changed, and using his ability to ''paint'' illusions, his facial features gradually sharpened, warped into an entirely new image. His irises took on duller colours, and his expression changed to match his thoughts.

    ''Crazy? Who''s crazy? Confidence? Why do I need confidence to kill people? Won''t they die anyway? Aren''t I just saving their families time in having to wait to enjoy a lovely funeral service?''

    A harsh black aura soon permeated the space around the group, filling the air with malevolence. As the three turned to look towards Lumi¨¨re, they realised that he had been cloaked in a thin veil of shadow. His hair had become short and jet-black, and his eyes were a pale blue. His face had become slightly thinner, sharper, and generally more conventionally attractive. Moreover, his face didn''t show any hints of fear, anxiety, or madness. There was only a confident, humoured grin across his face. In all regards, he did not resemble what the three knew ''One of Spades'' to look like.

    Slowly, the figure stood up and faced the group. His left eye had shut, and begam dripping a thick, viscous black liquid. He placed his palm against the left side of his face to cover the atroscious sight, still showing off his crazed, almost-demonic grin.

    "So, who are you now?" Four of Hearts asked the One of Spades.

    The figure who was once known as Lumi¨¨re Croft grinned, his hand falling away from his face, smearing the thick black blood along his cheek. His hand then reached outwards, as if taunting the three to come closer.

    "Guess."

    One of Spades had become an entirely new person altogether.

 Chapter 43: The scent of death

    "Are you the protagonist of that one mystery novel?" Four of Hearts guessed thoughtfully. "A brooding, calm aura, yet also one who gives off a sense of unhinged madness. What was his name again?"

    "Ah, the one where the main character dies in the end? If I recall, his name was ''Lain''." Three of Diamonds spoke in turn.

    Three of Hearts immediately burst out, shocked.

    "Are you talking about ''Secret of the Conductor''?" Three of Hearts''s tone took on an air of annoyance. "I haven''t yet finished that one. Aren''t you speaking too carelessly for a noblewoman?"

    Hearing his words, Three of Diamonds''s face flushed, and she immediately silenced herself. In unison, One of Spades turned towards the group, a grin creeping up his expression. He raised his hand in the air, and with a snap of his fingers, the barrier of saltpeter that surrounded them was set alight by bright silver flames. In the fiery atmosphere, One of Spades''s face was still half-cloaked in shadow, sending shivers down the other''s bodies in unison.

    "That''s my name, so don''t speak about me like I''m fictional." Lain, otherwise known as One of Spades, smirked. "Fiction couldn''t kill you right now."

    "This is too good. Aren''t you acting a little too well? Have you accidentally lost yourself, One of Spades?" Three of Hearts chided.

    After Lumi¨¨re Croft had begun to use the ''illusory murmurs'' to gradually convince himself to become someone else, a character from an older storybook had popped into his head. It was the identity of a criminal who was the main character in a mystery novel, who opposed and evaded a detective while trying to clear himself of any suspicion as pertained to a murder. Such an unhinged, confident, and calm persona was exactly what Lumi¨¨re had been trying to portray. However, as he had begun to slip into the role, he had forgotten who ''Lumi¨¨re Croft'' initially was. In the moment, he had truly become ''Lain'', the One of Spades.

    ''Lain? As in, someone who has lied?'' Four of Hearts mused inwardly. ''Isn''t One of Spades too on-the-nose with his humour?''

    As the saltpeter gradually burned away, so too did the safe atmosphere that had been present around them. As now they were open to sudden attack, it was important that they started to move. Fortunate for them, it was the same time that the current Five of Hearts, Johan Basque, began his nightly endeavours. Over time, as well as using his connections, Three of Hearts had managed to profile Johan Basque''s daily life extensively. Most nights, he would spend his time at the ''Rouge Egret'', a bar that catered towards the more perverse side of the nightlife''s crowd. Three of Hearts began to walk through the streets, the others trailing close behind him. Lain had abandoned the cowl that had been given to Lumi¨¨re Croft, and his eyes shifted about rapidly as he took in the atmosphere around him. However, he was not scared or full of anxiety. Rather, Lain felt a rapidly rising feeling of excitement and entertainment grasp his heart, as if he had been thrust into the depths of a fun trick or game.

    "So, we''re going to fight someone?" Lain asked with a grin on his face, his gaze still shifting from side to side as he excitedly eyed each site within the festival district, almost like a child in a new place for the first time.

    "No, we aren''t going to fight them. We''re going to trick them and get them arrested. Really, didn''t you have the foresight to remember at least this much?" Three of Diamonds sighed. Looking over at Lain, her face blushed slightly. Although she still felt a strong feeling of hesitance and anxiety towards One of Spades, his sudden childish inclinations that came with his new persona softened her heart a little bit. She reached into her cloak and procured a sheet of parchment, as well as a pen. As they walked, she began to scrawl out One of Spades''s initially planned involvement in the operation before handing it over to Lain. "This is your job. Remember to memorise it well and follow it exactly as written."

    In the novel titled ''Secret of the Conductor'', the main character, Lain, was someone who liked to experience the many fun and exciting points in life. He was a thrill-seeker at heart. He rarely abided by caution, and was quick to jump towards danger with full confidence knowing that he would topple all that threatened him. However, he was also a person who knew that higher powers were something he should he subordinate to. This is why Three of Diamonds, having read the novel, was quick to treat him as if he were lower than her, and command him to do exactly as he was told.

    Accepting the parchment, Lain took several moments to glance at the words scrawled carefully onto its surface. He seemingly took in each bit of information, nodding thoughtfully from time to time before looking back up towards Three of Diamonds. A sheepish grin spread up his face, and he spoke out.

    "I can''t read."

    Three of Diamonds''s face paled with a mixture of annoyance, shock, and dejection. Her eyebrow twitched, and beside her, Four of Hearts burst out into a fit of laughter.

    ''This fucker¡­ really, what was One of Spades thinking, picking him of all people to mimick?''

    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    "When the time comes, I''ll tell you what to do. You''ll listen to me, won''t you?" Three of Diamonds tried her best to keep a genuine, charming smile on her face as she spoke.

    "It''s dangerous, is it?" Lain inquired.

    Three of Diamonds nodded in response. "It''s quite dangerous, that''s why we''re going to abide by the plan exactly."

    Lain walked forward, striding alongside her before stopping her in her tracks. He reached out his hand, grasping her by the cheeks as he pulled her in close. His eyes radiated an unhinged malevolence as he smiled genially.

    "Then, why don''t I use you to fish out the danger? What better plan is there than that?"

    Whatever anxiety that had dissipated in Three of Diamonds''s heart immediately returned. Looking up at Lain, she immediately shook his grip on her off, and looked away, her expression blushing and embarrassed.

    ''Was One of Spades initially like this, or is this just the personality of ''Lain''? I think I preferred his initial state more¡­ this man is too unpredictable."

    "It''s your job to steal a certain item, Lain." Three of Hearts turned back towards him. "That''s all you need to do. Anything more than that and there will be repercussions."

    Lain let out an audible ''tsk'', but still continued walking beside them, his hands in the pockets of his longcoat.

    ''I wonder if this persona is a little too crazy. Hasn''t this little magician inadvertently done the one thing we were trying to avoid? If this ''Lain'' character can''t listen to our plans, then it will truly go off the rails. Moreover, if I can''t stop One of Spades from throwing himself into danger unconsciously, he may get detained by the Peacekeepers. If I can''t keep the subordinates of my missions safe, then I will surely lose trust with my clients as a merchant.'' Unlike his usually calm demeanor, Three of Hearts''s internal ramblings were profound, yet full of anxiety.

    As they approached the Rouge Egret, the bar that Johan Basque frequented, Three of Hearts spotted a man in formal attire taking large strides with a beaming smile on his face. He had greasy, slicked back blonde hair, and bright emerald eyes that radiated a sense of malevolence. Three of Hearts''s heart erupted with anxiety, and he quickly fell back into the shadows of the street, prompting the group behind him to do the same.

    "What are we doing now?" Four of Hearts whispered hesitantly.

    "That bastard finished early¡­ he''s going back to his base of operations now. We won''t have time to match the movements of the Peacekeepers¡­ we''ll have to adjust the plan when we get there."

    Three of Hearts glanced over towards the unpredictable Lain, who still had a faint grin present on his expression.

    "We''re going to follow that man silently. Can you do that much?"

    Lain looked over towards Three of Hearts and smiled.

    "Whatever pleases you best." Lain laughed softly.

    Three of Hearts nodded in response, and giving the two others a slight confirmation, they began to move. After scaling the side of the building behind them by climbing up a ladder meant for maintenance, they began to creep through the rooftop''s shadows, trailing a mild distance behind the blonde-haired enigmatic individual. They passed by the streets filled with the remnants of those commuting home. Most of the streets by that point had become quiet and solemn. Unlike most people, Johan Basque had extensive power, and so he was not scared of the beasts that roamed at night. Still, he too stuck to the shadows to an extent, not only to avoid the Nameless, but also the suspicion of the Peacekeepers. In a city where the night brought danger, one who chose deliberately not to fear it was either a fool, or someone to suspect.

    They eventually came to a small facility in the center of the middle borough. It was a medical facility where the sickly were taken, or where the elderly were taken care of. It was simultaneously attached to a building where terminally-ill children were treated, although that building was far smaller. Moreover, behind the facility, a small building of no regard sat quietly. The four watched from the rooftops as Johan Basque unlocked the gate that surrounded the facility, walking quietly through the courtyard and past the main building. He quickly approached the lone building behind the facility, and using a different key that was attached to a ring of many others, unlocked the door. He then stepped inside, shutting the door behind him.

    ''Fuck, we have to get closer on the ground¡­''

    There weren''t many guards present in the courtyard of the medical facility. However, the four stuck to the shadows regardless. There were several trees planted along the exterior of the facility, and so it wasn''t hard for them to approach the building in the back unnoticed. When they reached the wall, they began to hear a faint gleeful whistle coming from inside. Four of Hearts''s expression paled, and Three of Hearts immediately began to scale the side of the building silently using the maintenance ladder. The other three followed behind him, and they crept along the rooftop silently. They eventually reached a large glass window on the rooftop where moonlight shone in faintly. When peeking through, they could see the shadowy form of the blonde-haired man dancing about, whistling as he picked up various metal tools from a table beside him.

    On a table within the room, illuminated in the moonlight, there was a strange figure lying still. Upon closer inspection, Four of Hearts''s stomach began to churn. The figure''s wrinkled, aged expression had glossed over, and its stomach had been torn wide upon, revealing bright-pink organs and blood-red fatty flesh. It was the cadaver of an elderly woman. At first glance, one could assume that it was a simple sight of a surgeon practicing his techniques on a licensed cadaver. However, his demeanor in the meanwhile was unnerving. Besides that, as the four inspected closer, they realised that the mouth of the surgeon had curved up into a maniacal, crazed grin, and was caked with bright-red blood.

    However, the most unsettling thing thus far was that Johan Basque has stopped whistling. His dancing about had ceased, and he had set his surgical tools down on the table beside him. Soon, there was a sense of anxiety looming in the quiet air. Then, Johan Basque spoke out loud.

    "Aren''t you fellows being a little too averse to caution? To a man who knows many scents, a sense of smell marred by the presence of chemicals, don''t you think I''ve become quite prone to recognising human presence? Moreover, the living are quite a foul scent to me."

    Johan Basque turned to look towards the overhead window where the four stood, looking back down at him, before speaking once more.

    "The only scent that should infest this place is death."

 Chapter 44: Necessary Desperation

    Lain looked down at Johan Basque, who stared up at him with his malevolent gaze. Yet, the grin on his face didn¡¯t decline. His foot had begun to lean on the glass window upon the rooftop.

    ¡°This man is dangerous, right?¡± Lain spoke loud enough for both Johan and Three of Hearts to hear.

    Three of Hearts looked over towards Lain suspiciously.

    ¡°Of course he is, haven¡¯t you been listening this whole time?¡± Three of Hearts¡¯s calm expression had finally subsided, and fear had overtaken him.

    ¡°Then, the only option is to kill him.¡±

    Lain stomped down on the glass window, shattering it into a thousand crystalline pieces. Simultaneously, he reached into his coat and retrieved his firearm from his underarm holster before plummeting towards the ground. In midair, the maniacal grin on Johan Basque¡¯s face subsided, and Lain raised the pistol to aim at his head. He immediately pulled the trigger, and a loud ¡®bang¡¯ sounded out in the small building. The sound sent pain ringing through his ears, but he paid it no mind and rolled onto the ground before looking back up towards his foe. The left side of Johan Basque¡¯s skull had been completely blown away by the force of the bullet. However, there was still an assured, confident smile on his face.

    ¡®Fuck. One bullet wasn¡¯t enough?¡¯ The grin on Lain¡¯s face faded. In the span of five seconds, Lain had jumped down from the rooftop, fired a bullet through Johan¡¯s skull, and landed. However, Johan Basque hadn¡¯t immediately perished, and looked at Lumi¨¨re as if he had already won. Then, Johan proceeded to speak aloud, reciting a chant as if he were invoking a higher power.

    ¡°You are the Lord who rests in the veil of blood, the warping of flesh, the endless time experienced in suffering, and the one who transcends physical anguish- the Demon of Pain.¡± Johan Basque proclaimed. ¡°Take unto yourself this offering of mortal flesh, and aid me in vanquishing these heretics who mock your namesake.¡±

    Immediately after Johan Basque had finished reciting the chant, the table on which the corpse of the deceased elderly woman sat began to glow a harsh bright red. Gradually, the flesh of the corpse began to melt like fat against a stovetop, sinking into the grain of the tabletop before coalescing into one mass of writhing liquid flesh. Lain and the others immediately realised that there were fine, ornate etchings on the surface of the table, carved by the metal tools that Johan had previously set down.

    ¡®Runes? Has he already set up a physical ritual?¡¯ Three of Hearts¡¯s face lit up with fear and anxiety. ¡®Were we this late, this foolish, and this unprepared? How could I have failed to think that his perverse dealings were actually linked to some greater being? Is this ¡®Demon of Pain¡¯ the entity who backs him? Then, he might be far more powerful than I previously anticipated. We won¡¯t survive this. There¡¯s absolutely no chance that we can beat a person at his level if he simultaneously has the backing of a powerful Demon!¡¯

    At the level of Johan Basque, it was possible to conduct ritualistic magic, usually used for the sake of invoking a powerful entity or spirit in exchange for multitudes of offerings. In Johan Basque¡¯s case, it had been the corpse of the elderly woman in exchange for the assistance of a Demon named ¡®The Demon of Pain¡¯. This was why Johan Basque had not immediately died when Lain had shot a bullet clear-through his skull.

    The three immediately grasped the situation, and everything was thrust into an air of perilousness. Lain, who was simultaneously the unconscious body of One of Spades had recklessly dived into danger, and the rest of them were too shaken with fear to go in alongside him. All they could do was watch the proceedings in hopes that they could free him from the grasp of the situation before fleeing. However, even then, it was likely that Johan Basque could use the innate perception of an Alchemist to track them down. Since it had to be consciously used, and Johan wasn¡¯t too wary walking home, there was no suspicion on his part. However, when it was consciously activated, they had no chance of escaping him.

    Their entire plan had hinged around not initiating conflict, as it was likely that they would not be able to kill him without suffering injury. That was just how far the gap between them was. However, they could bear this cost without suffering any losses. Now that a demon had been involved, however, there was no chance of doing so. If there was any hope left, it would be to make a commotion loud enough to draw the attention of the Peacekeepers, and forgo the initial plan of stealing the Five of Hearts card. After all, the cards were not the only way to advance one¡¯s own power, just the safest option.

    However, Lain didn¡¯t seem to carry the same sense of fear that the others did. Whether it was from lack of knowledge, or from a lack of caring was unknown. Instead, he reached into his coat pocket and procured a small wooden idol that had been given to him prior. Holding it in his hand, he snapped his fingers with the other, and the intricately-carved idol of a woman was engulfed in bright silver flames. Seeing this, Johan Basque¡¯s remaining eye widened slightly, but his grin didn¡¯t dissipate. Immediately, Lain felt power surge into his body. His bones and muscles creaked as if he couldn¡¯t readily contain it all, and his weariness dissipated. He walked over to the table casually as Johan Basque watched with humoured anticipation.

    He could naturally feel the fear that emanated from the people watching above him. It was absorbed as if it were second nature, strengthening his form.

    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    With a swing of his fist, Lain brought his knuckles to meet the table. With a single strike, the table shattered in two, breaking the intricate runes that had been carved in half. The red glowing dissipated, and the mass of writhing liquid flesh splashed onto the ground below. Immediately after, countless illusory ravings erupted in the air around them, causing everyone in the vicinity to cover their ears and fall to the ground in writhing pain. They were the cries of a demon who had been blasphemed. Johan Basque, Lain, and his comrades alike suffered on the ground below, desperately wishing that the ravings would cease. Lain immediately filled the air with his own illusory murmurs, attempting to drown out the maddening noise with pleas that repeatedly told him to ¡®stay sane¡¯ and ¡®keep calm¡¯.

    However, all at once, the ravings of the demon ceased. Lain and the others stood up gradually, glancing around as they realised that their anguish had stopped. However, Johan Basque remained lying silently on the ground. His flesh seemed to squirm like the elderly woman¡¯s corpse had previously, albeit in a different manner. In front of the other¡¯s gazes, the bones in Johan Basque¡¯s skin began to pierce his flesh, peeking out into the open air. Sharp tendrils protruded from his flesh, writhing madly. His eyes that were once filled with malevolence now radiated an inscrutable madness. Moreover, they were not the eyes of a human. It was clear that they were the eyes of a demon.

    ¡®Fuck, what¡¯s going on?¡¯ Thoughts rang out through Lain¡¯s head. However, they were not the true thoughts of ¡®Lain¡¯. Having succumbed to madness from using blasphemy, the ¡®Lain¡¯ identity had become far too corrupted for Lumi¨¨re to unconsciously use. As a result, it had been tossed back into his mental unconsciousness until the madness had dissipated, and Lumi¨¨re¡¯s own true mental state had returned to the forefront. ¡®Had the plan failed? Did I not perform as ¡®Lain¡¯ well enough? If I can¡¯t remember it, then did I fall into my role too far? Did this reckless bastard bring me into this situation?¡¯

    As Lumi¨¨re glanced up at the three who stood high above him, seemingly frozen in fear, he realised the perilousness of the situation. He was facing an enemy that none of them were capable of beating, and so they had chosen to cut their losses and watch to see if Lumi¨¨re would perish completely. It was understandable. Lumi¨¨re suddenly thought he would have done the same. However, despite him having gotten himself into the situation, he wasn¡¯t going to just lay down and die.

    ¡°Throw that concoction onto me!¡± Lumi¨¨re shouted at them suddenly.

    Four of Hearts and Three of Hearts looked down at Lumi¨¨re in shock.

    ¡°You know what that concoction does, don¡¯t you? It¡¯ll send you into a frenzy! You¡¯ll surely die!¡±

    ¡°Won¡¯t I die anyway!?¡± Lumi¨¨re shouted back in return, a grin not unlike Lain curling up on his expression.

    ¡®Is this not ¡®Lain¡¯?¡¯ Three of Hearts and Four of Hearts thought in unison.

    ¡®I¡¯ve no reason to fear. After all, ¡®Lain¡¯ isn¡¯t the only identity I can use.¡¯ Lumi¨¨re chided humorously in his head.

    Four of Hearts grimaced. However, he had come to know that ¡®One of Spades¡¯ wasn¡¯t exactly a fool in most regards. He tried to act confident and crazy, but he was a meticulous, thoughtful individual. So, he reached into his coat pocket and procured the flask that had been filled with a bright golden liquid, swirling endlessly with churning strands of black. He immediately tossed it down towards Lumi¨¨re, who looked back towards the disfigured form of Johan Basque as the flask shattered into countless pieces, spilling the concoction onto the both of them. Immediately, Lumi¨¨re felt his mind enter a raging turmoil. It felt as if every thought he had ever thought of had emerged, and he had begun to relive them all at once. Moreover, there was an innate urge to tear himself apart, as well as anyone around him. He wished to cry, scream, yell, smile, anguish, and despair.

    So, in that opportune moment where ¡®Lumi¨¨re Croft¡¯ had entered a frenzy, he grinned and spoke aloud.

    ¡°Despair.¡±

    The space around him was immediately coated in a malevolent aura, along with a thick film of shadow that blanketed all sources of light in the area. Countless illusory murmurs erupted in the distance, and horrid bloodshot eyes burgeoned from the blanket of shadow. His lucidity began to dissipate along with his consciousness, and the shadows in the room began to shiver and twitch as small tendrils erupted.

    As Lumi¨¨re lost his will over his consciousness, ''he'' descended from the shadows, enveloping Lumi¨¨re in ''his'' features. A thousand illusory crows flew down in death-spirals from the ceiling, spilling their blood in splashes against the air before transforming into a thick viscous black liquid. That liquid rose up from the ground along with the remaining crows, and ''he'' was enveloped in a long fluttering black cloak. The figure that wrapped its features over Lumi¨¨re''s had short black hair with small strands falling past ¡®his¡¯ ears, and glistening black eyes that held a fatigued sense of despair. In most aspects, ¡®he¡¯ looked identical to Lumi¨¨re, apart from black eyeliner which sharpened ¡®his¡¯ gaze, and a sickly pale-white tone on his cheeks.

    In an instant, the primordial sin that served the ancient and evil deity known as ¡®The Sinner¡¯ had emerged. Lumi¨¨re had taken it upon himself to experience the frenzy of the ¡®Philter ''e Furor¡¯ that Four of Hearts had concocted in order to simultaneously affect the demon that had taken over the body of Johan Basque. Then, he had uttered the name of ¡®Despair¡¯ in order to give over his body to the power given to him in order to avoid the effects of the frenzy applied to ¡®Lumi¨¨re Croft¡¯.

    ¡®He¡¯ gradually stepped forward before raising ¡®his¡¯ hand and chanted ¡°Despair¡±. The Demon of Pain inhabiting Johan Basque¡¯s body shrunk back gradually under the weight of Despair¡¯s command. While the Demon of Pain was a powerful force to be reckoned with, as were most demons, the strength of Johan Basque¡¯s body could not bring out its full potential, and so the innate strength of a power gifted by an ancient and primordial deity triumphed. That was the reward given in exchange for the cost of being a servant of the most ancient Sin.

    With a single swing of ¡®his¡¯ fist, the inferior mortal form of Johan Basque was rendered into a fine red mist, splattering against the interior walls of the building as the Four of Hearts, Three of Hearts, and Three of Diamonds looked on in horror. Gradually afterwards, the malevolence of the room brought about by the Demon of Pain and Despair began to dissipate. Lumi¨¨re¡¯s normal features returned to his form, and so did his lucidity. However, Lumi¨¨re fell into a deep unconsciousness from the sapping of his stamina brought about by the use of both blasphemy and ¡®despair¡¯.

    As the three watched the processions of the battle, a single shared thought coalesced in their minds in place of their shocked silence.

    ¡®What the fuck?¡¯

 Chapter 45: Mr. Demon

    "It was weakened¡­ but it was still a Demon¡­" A voice murmured from beside Lumi¨¨re. "Only a demon can beat another demon so easily¡­ could he really have been one all along?"

    "If that''s the case, then won''t he kill us, despite us bringing him back here? If he really is a demon, then we''ve signed the warrants of our own deaths." Another voice replied, a hint of anxiety causing their voice to waver.

    Lumi¨¨re gradually sat up in his seat, the others in the room failing to notice his awakening. Three figures had all turned their backs to him, sitting and discussing the matters of the end of the operation. A small stack of multi-coloured paper bills sat in the center of the small circular table they gathered around. Moreover, there were three emerald-glowing cards in front of them. As he stared at the three whose backs were turned to him, thoughts ran through his mind.

    ''Demon? What are these fools talking about now?''

    "We all saw them¡­ those black shadows that looked as if they could swallow all light¡­" Three of Diamonds, a woman dressed in a black cloak whose hood had been pulled back to reveal flowing black hair. Three of Hearts and Four of Hearts had both taken their masks off, yet despite the quiet and calm atmosphere of the private House of Cards meeting room, there was an air of anxiety present.

    "It isn''t indicative of him being a demon." Four of Hearts shook his head.

    "Still, the alternative is that he is a servant of a very powerful demon or deity, isn''t it?" Three of Hearts posed.

    Lumi¨¨re''s expression tensed up as he listened to them talk.

    ''Three of Hearts really is too smart for his own good. Should I try and kill them all, now that they''ve seen ''that power'' of Lord Sinner?'' Lumi¨¨re thought seriously. ''There''s no guarantee I''ll be able to beat them, however. What little strength I have in my body is what is currently keeping me conscious¡­''

    Suddenly, he felt his heart beat slightly. Rather, something against his chest began to pulsate fiercely. Lumi¨¨re quietly reached into his coat pocket and procured Poe''s Gnosis, which glowed a faint silver. However, the three still seemed oblivious to his awakening, so he flipped open the book and read the scrawling line that took form on the blank parchment.

    ¡ª ''Despair'' operates off of accumulated despair. To be able to use it at a consistent rate, those around you must feel fear. To you, who is the world''s most horrible person, this is no matter. Ruining the hearts of those around you is a paltry cost.

    Lumi¨¨re''s eyebrow twitched slightly. The using of ''Despair'' drained his body''s stamina in an instant, almost to a fatal extent if used for longer than a few seconds. This was what put him in the hospital after the attack on the monastery. However, it was the first time he had learned of its true cost, that being accumulated fear from the people around him. If he wanted to use that power, wouldn''t he have to become a true monster, at least in the eyes of others? As he looked back up at the three, a thought came to his mind. He placed Poe''s Gnosis back into his coat, and then spoke out.

    "A demon?" Lumi¨¨re said aloud, a faint chuckle hanging at the edge of his voice. Three of Diamonds, Four of Hearts, and Three of Hearts all turned to stare at the magician, whose countenance had returned to normal. However, using the ''illusion painting'' that he had learned prior in front of them, his hair gradually turned a stark-black along with his eyes. He looked up at the three of them, and a grin spread across his expression. "Is that all you''ll call me? Will you not refer to me by my honorific title?"

    To a demon, their ''true name'' was their most valuable well-kept secret. If a mortal was to discover the name of the demon they opposed, they could then be easily vanquished. This meant that a demon was not relatively unkillable. The easiest death a demon could experience was by a ritual using their true name. So, each demon that derived its existence from their mystical realm would refer to themselves by an ''honorific title''. This was seen when Johan Basque had tried to summon the demonic existence known as the ''Demon of Blood''. This wasn''t the demon''s true name, but rather his honorific title. Having read extensively in the monastery''s library, it was a given that he had learned about demonology.

    Three of Hearts, the intelligent merchant that Lumi¨¨re had come to know, immediately took it upon himself to bow his head. Having had previous misgivings about Lumi¨¨re''s origin of power, he had begun to think otherwise when he heard the mention of an ''honorific title''. After all, such knowledge was uncommon amidst most people. However, Three of Hearts had no prior knowledge of Lumi¨¨re''s background, apart from his career with the show hall in Leiden''s entertainment district. He didn''t know that Lumi¨¨re resided at the monastery in the Lower Borough, as Lumi¨¨re would always take the secret path between the two boroughs, and so he didn''t assume that Lumi¨¨re would know of such things. So, to him, the likeliest scenario was that he was currently sitting in front of a true, powerful demon.

    ''We were wrong¡­ isn''t this too much of a strange coincidence? Just last week, I confirmed that ''One of Spades'' was a normal individual. Has this demon been acting all along, or in that week, did One of Spades make contact with a demonic existence and lose his lucidity? Still, he seems like One of Spades, his genuine personality. Is it a matter of them exchanging consciousness? Then, was that ''unhinged'' act not really an act, but rather the ''exchange'' between the demonic existence and the One of Spades''s consciousness?'' Countless thoughts raced through Three of Hearts''s mind as he bowed his head to the entity before him.

    "My Lord, I''ve no knowledge of your honorific name." He apologised profusely. The two behind him both adopted fearful expressions and bowed their head in turn.

    Lumi¨¨re sneered. However, he felt quite humoured. Wasn''t this a position that he, who was far inferior to them in terms of strength, shouldn''t have been in? One misspoken word, and he would lose their trust in his identity, and subsequently expose himself to true danger. If he were to truly be seen as the servant of an evil deity or demon, it was likely that he would either be blackmailed and manipulated by them, or given up to the church altogether out of fear. So, it was all he could do to pose as a demon in the hopes that they would fear him enough to stay silent. Of course, this meant that in the future, he would have to keep them close enough to watch them.

    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there."Are you saying that I''m too insignificant to be known?"

    His glare met Three of Hearts''s eyes, who instinctively flinched backwards.

    "I''ll say it once for you. However, in return, you must offer me something in exchange."

    "You wish to do a ''Crossroads deal''?" Three of Hearts''s expression abated his fear, alighting with some profound sense of thirst for new knowledge. "Yes, of course! We can do that much. However, we only have this much on hand¡­"

    To a demon, nothing was given out for free. It wasn''t a matter of personality, but rather the natural laws of the world. It just wasn''t possible for a demon to hand out anything, whether it be information or physical items without an exchange occurring. When an exchange happened between demons and mortals, it was referred to as a ''crossroads deal''. So, for the sake of being able to learn his honorific title, they would have to give up something in exchange. Three of Hearts glanced back towards the table where the stack of Len notes and the three emerald-glowing cards sat.

    "That''s enough. Give me the notes and the lowest-ranking card. I''m not an unfair Lord. I wouldn''t leave you with nothing." However, Lumi¨¨re''s tone of voice implied the opposite in the event that he was angered. So, the three card-holders complied, handing over the Len notes and the ''Three of Hearts'' card. It was more money than he had ever seen at once, but he kept a smug expression on his face as he pocketed the money. Then, as the three sat obediently before him, Lumi¨¨re ruminated on the thought of an honorific title.

    ''For a demon, four titles make up the breadth of their honor. It''s the same for a deity, although far-less profound. While a deity''s honorific title is used for prayer, demon''s are particularly only meant for ritualistic purposes. There''s no need to be too enigmatic or flashy with my title¡­ something that describes this new ''persona'' is best. So then, who should I become this time?''

    Lumi¨¨re thought for a minute more. In that time, the silence was deafening to the three individuals who sat before him. From time to time, they would begin to shake or adjust their posture nervously, as if they were children awaiting their own punishments. Seeing this, Lumi¨¨re''s grin trembled slightly, as if stifling a laugh. Then, he spoke aloud.

    "I am the grandest illusion, the venerable lie. I am the dignified spring bloom, the immortal flower. I am also the precursor of Despair, the vessel of insanity; the preeminent shadow, an exalted orchestrator of Fate." Lumi¨¨re smiled genially. "I am Ophelia, Demon of the Garden."

    The now Four-of-Hearts''s face shook. The intelligent merchant was shocked at the declaration of the demon''s true name. To have given up such an important piece of information was tantamount to courting death. However, he immediately began to think differently.

    ''Besides his title, his true name is Ophelia? If ''Ophelia'' is equivalent to this man, then it will surely vanquish him to conduct such a ritual. However, it''s possible that ''Ophelia'' is not his name, but rather someone close to him- another demon. If that demon were to suddenly die, then he would know that an attempt on his life had been made by our hands. Is this his sincerity, or is it really a test in disguise? If we fail, will he kill us all?''

    The merchant looked over to the other two individuals, but seeing their expressions, he surmised that they had already thought through it as well. To Lumi¨¨re, their writhing underneath his taunts and illusions were quite interesting. It was a far more entertaining performance than his prior work as a magician.

    ''Ophelia was a character in a playscript I read once in the monastery''s library. To them, this will probably seem like a trap placed for them. However, I have no way to truly tell if they conduct a ritual to try and vanquish me or not. I''m betting on the fact that this foolish merchant is smart enough to realise this and inform the others, so as to think I willingly placed the trap and resist testing my wrath. This should further increase the inclination to believe in this persona I''ve created. As far as being a ''liar'' goes, this is already known. This will foster the idea of an inclination for ''Lumi¨¨re Croft'' to have been a vessel for the ''Demon of the Garden''s'' descent. The ''spring bloom'' title accounts for the simplified name of this demon, as well as its power in terms of ''immortality''. For the sake of being an unhinged, fear-mongering individual, and for the sake of my ability to use ''Despair'', this third line is also quite necessary for this new persona. As a ''preeminent shadow'' who orchestrates the flow of fate from the darkness, this is just my own aspiration. After all, if I wish to change the world itself, fate will be my harshest adversary.'' He mused as he ruminated the thought in his head, looking back towards the three. He still held the ''Three of Hearts'' card in his hand. However, it had ceased its dim emerald-glow, and now resembled a normal playing card. In its center, there was a man whose chest had been torn open, revealing three beating hearts within his bright-red chest cavity.

    As Lumi¨¨re had received the ''Three of Hearts'', he had expected some significant change to occur. However, one was only capable of wielding one domain of magic, and so there was no effect in obtaining an additional card of a different domain. Moreover, as he now held the ''Three of Hearts'', this meant that the merchant, the former Three of Hearts, had now ascended to the level of ''Four of Hearts''. The same was the case for the former ''Four of Hearts''.

    "Isn''t it a bit confusing, to have to call you all by different things as you progress your own strength?" Lumi¨¨re leaned his head on his hand as if he were growing bored by their discussions, alike to the Joker who sat in the main hall.

    "Then, shall we tell you ours?"

 Chapter 46: Demons Contract

    As Lumi¨¨re looked at the three figures trembling before him, he felt a profound shift in his body, as if his stamina had returned slightly.

    ''Is this the accumulation of ''fear'' that Poe''s Gnosis spoke of? I wonder how long it will take to be able to use Despair without any drawbacks. Will it be a natural feeling within me?''

    "Very well. If you must tell me your names, then do so."

    The now Five of Hearts took no time in bowing his head and announcing. His mixture of golden and white strands of long hair had settled against his neck, and his pale skin glistened under the orange light.

    "My name is Cartwell Heffen, Honourable Lord. I have no noble connections, nor is my family origin of any importance."

    Following suit, with slight hesitance in her tone, Three of Diamonds followed suite.

    "My name is Zelia Chatelaine, Honourable Lord. I''m from a branch nobility family, although we are a very minour outlying family. We have no considerable sway in political matters, and only a pittance of land to call our own."

    ''Honourable Lord? It''s much like how Mr. Sand refers to Lord Sinner. Well, I suppose in canon, some demons equate to the orthodox deities¡­ saying this much is just them covering their bases. Moreover, a noblewoman... if I brought this woman under my control, couldn''t I benefit greatly?'' As he ruminated the thought, the memory of another noblewoman, the ''Genius Blade'' Artis Faulkner came to mind. She had proposed to him, offering him a pleasant and comfortable life. However, that was not the method of ''control'' he wished for when it came to nobility. After all, to an extent, he viewed the top of the societal structure of the Empire as targets.

    Humoured, Lumi¨¨re looked over towards the merchant he had come to know, now holding the ''Four of Hearts'' card. He was the one Lumi¨¨re had initially bought his firearm from, the one who he had held a gun to his head, yet was met with a slightly crazed confidence nonetheless. Looking at Lumi¨¨re, knowing that he was a Demon who far exceeded his strength, that merchant had a satisfied, amused grin on his face.

    "My name is Juno, Lord Demon of the Garden."

    "You may call me Ophelia." Lumi¨¨re chided. "Did you think I told you my name for fun? Don''t be a fool and disrespect my efforts so blatantly."

    "Yes, Lord Ophelia. My apologies." The Merchant, Juno, bowed his head slightly.

    ''This is really too much.'' Lumi¨¨re mused inwardly. He almost felt guilty, having such powerful figures kneel before him. After all, in their eyes, he would be equivalent to an ant. However, as a masterful career liar, fabricating such an air of loftiness was no difficult matter. As a magician, the suspension of belief in the audience was key, and so he had become adept at putting on a show for the sake of seeming otherwordly. That was the key skill he put into play when acting as the Demon of the Garden, Ophelia.

    "However, in the future, refer to me as ''Lumi¨¨re Croft'' when in front of others in public. In the House of Cards, you should call me One of Spades. Only in conversations like these should you call me ''Ophelia''. Moreover, in most instances, it won''t be me you''re talking to, but Lumi¨¨re Croft." Lumi¨¨re purposefully revealed his name. He was sure that Juno, the merchant, had long become aware of it. Moreover, he had mild notoriety in the entertainment district, so it wasn''t a matter he was too scared in revealing.

    ''One of Spades''s name is Lumi¨¨re Croft, but I knew this much already. However, this inadvertently confirms that at times, the Demon of the Garden, Ophelia, is not present in the body of Lumi¨¨re Croft. At times, when he seems a bit aloof and gentler, that should be the ''true him''. The anxiety and fear in Juno''s mind seemed to abate a bit as he lost himself in thought. He was one who valued knowledge over his own safety, and so the prospect of conversing with the Demon was quite entertaining.

    However, it was Zelia, the Three of Diamonds, who brought up the matter that no one wished to mention.

    "Is it not dangerous to tell us not only your true name, but the identity of your vessel? Do you not fear that we would use it against you?" Zelia asked of the Demon.

    "Do you think that I fear you?" Lumi¨¨re retorted with a smile on his face.

    Fear flushed Zelia''s expression, and she immediately bowed her head once more in deference.

    "All of you will sign a contract with me. For Ms. Chatelain, who cannot use contracting runes, we can conduct a three-way deal." A grin spread up Lumi¨¨re''s face. "This way, there will be no doubt that you will choose to speak about this matter."

    To Lumi¨¨re, he knew this would look as if it was a secondary layer of protection for himself. This was because he had already portrayed the layer of a ''hidden test'' in revealing his name. However, since this was not truly the case, he needed an actual layer of protection to fall back on in the case that they truly chose to test the matter of his name, Ophelia. So, he chose to form a contract with them detailing the punishment they would receive by speaking his name to anyone other than him or each other.

    Lumi¨¨re had Juno, the now Four of Hearts draw out the runes. He dutifully and carefully inscribed the runes in his and Cartwell''s blood onto the arm of Lumi¨¨re, and after doing the same to Zelia, Lumi¨¨re spoke aloud as the Registrar of the contract.

    "The Signatories of the contract will abide fully by its strictions. Deviation from the command to ''not speak the name ''Ophelia'' in the presence of anyone but those currently present here'' will result in immediate death."

    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.Immediately after, the runes on each of their bodies began to glow a bright-emerald colour, signifying the binding of the contract between them. Now, Lumi¨¨re didn''t have to worry too much about them exposing the matter. However, he worried slightly if it lowered the loftiness of his persona. So, he presented another matter.

    "Do you fools know of the ''Phantom Syndicate?'' Lumi¨¨re posed a question to them, as if testing them. However, this was his attempt at fishing for knowledge. He wondered if in such an organisation as the House of Cards, the knowledge of the profound, secretive organisation that had killed Elise was something their members would be privy to. However, this seemed not the case as the three shook their heads in response. "Prior to that ''operation'' of yours, ''Lumi¨¨re Croft'' experienced an attack by these individuals, one having wielded the fated ''One of Spades'' card. Ultimately, this individual, for some reason, happened to attack one night, and slaughtered dozens of people. Witnessing the carnage, and standing before the monster who had taken all he had cared about away from him, his only option was to utter meaningless words into the air. It did not matter what demon answered his call, just that one did. So, I did."

    Using his experiences as a starting point for his own storyline, he had been trying to convince the three that it was directly connected to the emergence of the ''Demon of the Garden''. This was preparation in the event that Juno, the merchant, chose to do further investigation into the body of the One of Spades- Lumi¨¨re Croft.

    "Why tell us this, honourable Lord Ophelia?" Cartwell Heffen, the white-haired man asked of him.

    "This is my reason for being here, so I think you should know of it. It is my duty to find this ''Phantom Syndicate'' and kill them at all costs. In exchange, I am allowed to experience the world through his body. Don''t you think that''s quite fair?" Lumi¨¨re grinned. "However, there is further reason to telling you of this."

    The three''s attention seemed to perk up from their sullen, fearful mood. Juno still had a slightly enigmatic, excited expression. Cartwell''s was genial, and glad his death no longer seemed imminent. However, Zelia''s face was still filled with a touch of hesitance, even if it was obvious she was trying hard not to show it.

    "What do you wish us to do with this information, Honourable Lord?"

    "I want you to help me destroy them."

    This was a massive request that Lumi¨¨re was levying. However, knowing he was doing it as ''Ophelia'' rather than as ''Lumi¨¨re'' made it a bit more amiable. He knew that at his level, it was unlikely he would be able to destroy an entire supposed organisation of magic users- the Phantom Syndicate. He had once thought of requesting help from the Joker, who seemed open to taking requests. Although, he had nothing to entice such a being with. If he could act as a being like the Joker, however,

    "Is Mr. Joker really okay with a demon being in his establishment? I''m not trying to demean the idea of you, Honourable Lord. However, I wonder why such a grand being as him hasn''t detected you yet? Is it the case that you have a power that conceals your presence?"

    Lumi¨¨re just looked down at Juno with an amiable grin, withholding a response. This piqued Juno''s interest further, but he kept silent.

    ''He didn''t respond. Is this his way of indirectly confirming my theory? However, this is just one of many possibilities. As far as I know, Demons are only capable of having one unique ability that they bestow onto their contracted followers. However, Lord Ophelia has already shown that ability- that cloak of crows that drowns out the light¡­ then, is it possible that Mr. Joker can sense Lord Ophelia''s presence, but doesn''t mind it? Is it possible that these two are cooperating? But what could Mr. Joker dislike about this organisation- the ''Phantom Syndicate''? Have they wronged the House of Cards in the past?'' Juno began ruminating through many, countless thoughts.

    Suddenly, however, Lumi¨¨re stood up from his seat, shocking the three who had knelt before him. They stood and backed up quickly, bowing slightly to the Demon as he walked past. Lumi¨¨re looked over towards them and nodded his head. Then, without a word, he left the private room in the House of Cards.

    Shortly after, he returned to the monastery. After eating a meal consisting of stale bread and porridge, he adjourned to his room.

    Lumi¨¨re then slumped into his bed, sinking into the soft pillowy mattress before letting out a harsh, exhausted sigh. Each and every bone in his body felt as if they had been individually stretched and bended in every which way, and then forced to carry the heaviest weight of his life. Yet, when he touched upon his bed, he felt his fatigue rush forth, and so he could not move a single inch more.

    ''To an extent, I enjoying living my life. However, if I were to stay in this bed for the rest of my life, I might not mind it too much.'' Lumi¨¨re thought, humoured. ''Hasn''t the past twenty-four hours been too much of a mess? To engage in a mission as ''Lain, One of Spades'', and emerge as ''Ophelia, Demon of the Garden''¡­ isn''t this too grand of a lie? For some reason, this makes me feel as if this is exactly the type of performance I enjoy most. Moreover, there''s utility in having them under my control via a contract. Now, if I need assistance, they can be employed at my whim.''

    Slowly, as he ruminated, Lumi¨¨re fell into a deep sleep, soothing his worries and his fatigue.

 Chapter 47: Heavens White Roses

    He felt himself resting in a torrential darkness. It was as if the sea of shadow that rested underneath the Lord Sinner''s labyrinth had made its way into his very dreams. Lumi¨¨re watched as the thrashing black tentacles whipped about within the air, and as the eyes in the distances burgeoned and widened fiercely with malice. The darkness slowly began to envelope him. However, as much as he tried to cry out, he could not scream. However, a light suddenly emerged from the darkness. It resembled the bright-white star in the labyrinth''s abyss that he had seen once before. Lumi¨¨re tried to trudge through the darkness, but he could not move a single step. Still, with each failed movement, the ball of light grew ever-closer towards him. Soon, it grew close enough for Lumi¨¨re to touch it, and so he did. The warmth enveloped him, immediately eliminating the chill that came with the abyss. In the presence of that light, he felt a familiar feeling that he had grown distant from.

    There was a woman present in the light. She had bright-blonde hair that glimmered like morning sunlight, and sapphire eyes like the sky. Lumi¨¨re wanted to call out to her, but he could not speak, and he wished to keep her close, but he could not move. She was ever-near, but ever-distant. She was what his heart desired, but no matter how much he tried to picture her, she was gone. There was nothing more to desire with intent to achieve, just desire with the intent of longing for what was lost.

    The light gradually faded away, and Lumi¨¨re was left in the darkness of the abyss, with the writhing tendrils slowly wrapping their way around him in the way they embraced Lord Sinner''s labyrinth. He was slowly dragged into the darkness, and as he was, he began to give up the feelings of warmth he had been holding onto. Then, he awoke from the nightmare.

    As soon as Lumi¨¨re opened his eyes, he was greeted by the face of the Priest, Ainsworth Benedict. Lumi¨¨re''s shadow quivered a bit, not to Ainsworth''s notice. Lumi¨¨re inhaled deeply, suppressing the torrent of emotions within him quickly.

    "They''ve arrived. Please come out as soon as you''ve dressed. Your clothes are a mess." Father Benedict sighed.

    "Who''s here?" Lumi¨¨re''s eyebrow raised inquisitively.

    "The White Roses are here. They''re the outlier team you''ll be joining, as well as the team led by the nun who will be living with us from now on- a Blue Rose."

    As Lumi¨¨re stood up and dressed himself in a casual attire, his parsed through his emotions and thoughts.

    ''These nightmares are getting worse¡­ I wonder if the persona of ''Lain'' would have such dreams.'' He thought humorously as he quelled his anxieties. Every morning, due to the nightmares, the monster in his shadow grew inclined to attack him, and so he had grown accustomed to calming himself during his basic morning routine. He wiped the sweat from his brow, and in a moment of silence, confirmed the stability of his emotions before stepping out of his room. He pulled a flat cap over his messy head of hair that had been tied back behind his head. Then, he stepped down the stairs that led to the main hall of the monastery. There were four people in the main hall- two boys darting about, a woman sitting in the pews, and Father Benedict standing beside her.

    Lumi¨¨re immediately recognised the woman sitting in the pews in the main prayer hall. She had vibrant red hair and violet eyes, and her expression was a mix of seriousness and calm demeanor. She had her arms folded over one another, although Lumi¨¨re could see that she had a crown of thorns pendant similar to Father Benedict. She wore a long black cloak with a silver-white lining. The hood of the cloak rested on her shoulders, along with ornate silver decorations that stretched down the sleeves towards the cuff. Her red hair was tied back behind her head, apart from a single strand that rested against her ear. She was the woman that Lumi¨¨re had seen appear beside Father Benedict when the Nameless creature had attacked.

    There were two boys in church uniforms moving quickly about the monastery. They carried pots and pans, swept the floor, and polished the pews within the prayer hall. Lumi¨¨re looked curiously over towards Father Benedict, but he deferred his gaze to the woman sitting in the pews. She had an air of arrogance about her, with a leg crossed over the other. In the monastery, it seemed as if she reigned as the strongest in the room.

    "The monastery was filthy. If I''m going to operate out of this location, it should be spotless. These boys are the best at what they do. Just don''t interfere with their work and they''ll make sure that this filthy place is pristine." She nodded. "Well, that''s not what I''m here to talk about. You''re the newest test-dummy I''ve been given, yeah?"

    Lumi¨¨re''s expression sank as if he had become disappointed. Seeing this, Father Benedict hurriedly introduced the woman.

    "This is Meraline Avelis. She''s a member of the Blue Roses, and has been tasked with coordinating the White Rose team you''ll be a part of. Please ignore how haughty she can get. I promise she''ll be good to you."

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    Meraline seemed unmoved by Father Benedict''s comments.

    "Our primary focus is defeating the Nameless and halting the spread of the cult that follows the Blasphemer Goddess. Whether you''re good enough to face this task is something I''ll decide."

    "The Blasphemer Goddess?" Lumi¨¨re spoke nervously. The mention of ''blasphemy'' had become a contentious point for him, who had once defied the will of a Goddess.

    Meraline nodded her head. "The Lace of Blood- she''s the prime distributor of the powers of Heresy, a domain of magic that primarily focuses on the blaspheming of deities, blood magic, and illusion. Such an inherently evil domain is something we can''t stand by and let flourish, lest it become a majour problem for the general populous. Her creatures- the Nameless that take over the bodies of others are the ones trying to spread her faith and biblical canon, as well as enacting complex rituals in order to further her descent."

    "The descent of a deity? Does that have majour implications?"

    "It''s said that Deities- Gods, or those close to that level of power, walk among us. It''s not particularly dangerous for us when they do so. Any seeming person could be one of them. However, the descent of a Deity can cause extremely strange occurences- inconsistencies, we call them. They are strange happenings, the uncommon factors encountered. They could be strange coincidences, or even a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. These likely aren''t as they seem- rather the warping of our very reality. While in theory, this doesn''t seem like much, it could in turn create a domino effect we don''t want to see take place."

    "Moreover, the descent of an evil deity isn''t inherently a positive thing" Father Benedict continued. "If they were allowed to descend and enact their will on our mortal realm so easily, could that be considered a good thing to most people? We''ve been working with the Peacekeepers to identify those who could potentially be Nameless, although to a very difficult end."

    There were many strange terms and concepts being thrown around, but Lumi¨¨re was able to gain a general sense of the situation despite that.

    "So these ''Heaven''s Roses'' are a team that is focused on stopping the descent of this Blasphemer Goddess? Moreover, you want me to join their outlier team, who focus on their training to receive these magical powers to help combat the spread of the corrupted and evil faith?"

    ''If I were to join this team, it would mean constantly having to hide my position in order to not be discovered as a servant of Lord Sinner. There really wouldn''t be any blowback from denying this offer. From anyone''s standpoint, willingly choosing to fight against those horrors would be something anyone would shy away from. However, if I choose to join them, I could gain further knowledge into this strange and mysterious world of magic. Something is surely going to lead me to finding the Phantom Syndicate and the people behind Elise''s death. It''s best to have channels like this- in the way that Alain and Juno have their connections in the mercantile industry.''

    "That''s correct." Meraline nodded. "So, will you join us in this fight against the Blasphemer Goddess and her perverse faith?"

    "I will." Lumi¨¨re spoke succinctly, making up his mind. "Praise the grace of the thorns." He spoke out a praise relating to the Crown of Thorns. Most often, any line that related to her most common mantra of praise could be used to praise her, although this line was the most used among them, especially among members of the orthodoxy.

    "Praise the grace of the thorns." Father Benedict and Meraline responded in unison.

    "It''ll be a pleasure to have you, then." Meraline''s serious expression abated slightly, and a genial grin spread up her face. "Shall I introduce you to your fellow members- the White Roses?"

    Soon after, they exited the monastery, the bright morning sky having given way to slight rainfall.

    "Where are these ''members'' you spoke of?" Lumi¨¨re asked with a hint of suspicion in his tone.

    "Above you." Meraline spoke casually.

    Perched atop the two belltowers of the monastery were four figures bathed in the emerging sunlight of the morning. None of them looked particularly out of the ordinary. However, the gaze of one of the figures on the right tower shook Lumi¨¨re''s nerves fiercely. He had curly raven-black hair parted on each side of his head, and silver eyes that seemed lost and vacant, yet pierced his being despite that. He reminded Lumi¨¨re of Adonis Trinder, the underling of the Blackfeather Group''s Boss who was always fidgeting with the monocle on his eye.

    They all descended from the belltowers one by one, landing in the grass below. Their shadows overtook the walls of the monastery, seeming massive in comparison to their forms. Meraline walked over to them, and one by one, began to introduce them.

    The first was a man with golden hair and bright yellow eyes. Meraline introduced him as ''Midas''. He had runes etched all over his arms in black and red ink, reminiscent of the runes that Juno and Cartwell Heffen from the House of Cards would use for the sake of contracts. The second man introduced was Ramses Haire, who had red eyes and sandy-brown hair. His appearance made it clear that he was from the neighbouring Eastern continent that the Forger Empire had fought a war against only two years prior. However, that was not something Lumi¨¨re cared much about, neither did his presence seem to affect the other members of the White Roses. The third introduced was a man named ''Cornifer Lohr'', a lower-noble scribe who had been forced to join Heaven''s Roses to avoid a succession dispute. He had black hair and dark eyes, and had been constantly flipping an ornate golden pocketwatch open and shut, as if to avoid boredom.

    However, the person that Lumi¨¨re was most interested in learning the name of was the last introduced. The one with curly raven-black hair and silver eyes was named Nicole Auirore, although it seemed that Meraline had nothing special to say about Nicole. Still, Lumi¨¨re had already gathered several assumptions about him.

    ''Is this boy a Phantom?''

 Chapter 48: A mock patrol

    Lumi¨¨re and the White Roses sat at the round table in the dining room to the left of the main prayer hall. They had gathered casually around it, cards scattered across the table as they discussed Lumi¨¨re''s initiation into the organisation. However, as they spoke, Lumi¨¨re''s gaze had focused on Nicole Auirore, the boy with curly raven-black hair that gave off the same aura as Adonis Trinder, a former member of the Phantom Syndicate. He wondered if in place of Adonis, who had been told not to speak of his past, he had found a new source of information so quickly. So, there was a sultry, knowing smile present on Lumi¨¨re''s expression.

    They had been waiting for Meraline, the Blue Rose who acted as their leader, to gather supplies in preparation for their first training together- a mock patrol of the middle borough. This was as the mages in Heaven''s Roses would carry out- same as Father Benedict. However, they wouldn''t actively seek out danger, only mimicking the actions that the non-outlier groups of Heaven''s Roses would carry out during patrols or commissions. They had the protection of Meraline to fall back on in the event of true danger falling upon them. Moreover, through conversation, Lumi¨¨re had been able to gather that the man with golden hair and bright yellow eyes- Midas, was a user of the alchemist domain. He was a genius born into the service of the church, and so it was a given that he had been set up for success in that regard. In the future, he would surely become a key member of the priesthood of the Church of Thorns, or a high-ranking member of Heaven''s Roses. Besides that, suspicion had been forming in Lumi¨¨re''s perception of the black-haired boy, Nicole Auirore. It was evident that he was unable to suppress the aura of shadow that followed him around like a churning storm.

    "All-in." Lumi¨¨re spoke suddenly, twirling a coin in between his fingers. Midas, Cornifer, Ramses, and Nicole looked over towards him with surprise. Not expecting such a call from Lumi¨¨re, they immediately tossed their hands onto the table, giving up the bet. Lumi¨¨re let out a sigh, falling back in his chair. However, there was a grin on his expression as he threw his cards casually onto the table. The members of the White Roses, who hadn''t been too immersed in the game immediately widened their eyes. The five cards that Lumi¨¨re had thrown down were the King, Queen, Jack, Ten, and Nine of Spades.

    "A straight flush? Are you actually someone who is quite lucky, little dove?" Midas joked.

    Lumi¨¨re extended his palm and spoke in a matter of fact. "Of course not, I cheated."

    The other members mouths became agape.

    "So, this whole time you''ve been playing us for fools?" The corner of Cornifer''s mouth twitched, threatening to cease his usually-calm expression.

    "It''s been a pleasure to cheat you out of your money. We should do this often." Lumi¨¨re winked.

    "Do you have no morals, Lumi¨¨re Croft?" Nicole Auirore spoke out. "What is it you''re trying to do here?"

    Lumi¨¨re immediately turned to look at the boy and smiled.

    "Every hand, I slipped a card into my pocket. Of course, I just happened to get lucky and receive all of these cards throughout the course of the game, and so I was able to assemble such a hand in the end. However, if you had paid even the slightest bit of attention, you would have either noticed this, or the fact that there are not even any spade cards left in the deck."

    Lumi¨¨re then reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a handful of cards, spilling them out onto the table. Their faces were decorated with ornate designs of black spades. If the group could have grown more shocked, they surely would. However, there was no longer any sense of annoyance, discord, or anger amongst them. It was just pure amazement, to such a degree that they had completely forgotten how Lumi¨¨re had cheated them out of their money.

    "Now that you mention it, I don''t remember ever receiving a spade card past a certain point. How did you manage this, exactly?" Ramses Haire mused. "It''s quite a brilliant trick, my friend."

    Lumi¨¨re simply shrugged in response. "It''s part of the magician''s code to never reveal the secrets to a trick. Mentioning how I cheated was no trick, so I could explain that much. However, to ruin the mystery behind the illusion is simply going too far."

    "Do petty tricks stack up to real magic, little dove?" Midas laughed. "How about I turn your eyes and ears into gold, and you can see how far your tricks carry you then?"

    Still, Lumi¨¨re pressed on, gesturing outwards with his hand.

    "Then, you would make me quite a wealthy man. I would be grateful for your kindness in that regard."

    Midas let out a defeated sigh, and Cornifer and Ramses began to laugh in unison. However, Nicole Auirore began to look at Lumi¨¨re with suspicion. Lumi¨¨re met his gaze in turn. However, it was then that the silence became action. Slowly, the shadows underneath the table began to creep up alongside the table. They slithered along the edge of the sillhouette until they reached Lumi¨¨re''s feet. A chill immediately spread up his body, causing him to shiver.

    ''Shadow control? Is he inadvertently trying to test me? Then, I was right. He''s exactly like Adonis- giving off that cold, impenetrable aura of shadow. He''s also a black mage. It''s evident by his control of the shadow, like the black mages that fought within the House of Cards for a brief moment. Is it just a hallmark of black mages to fail to suppress their aura? No, it should just be the fact that they''re fools who know not of their powers.'' Lumi¨¨re grinned slightly. ''Then, I''ll make sure he tries nothing more in the future.''

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    He leaned in closer towards Nicole and whispered. "Careful, little mage. You''ll wake the shadows that no one wishes to see."

    Nicole''s eyes widened, and he slumped back in his seat, defeated and shaken. He had not expected for Lumi¨¨re to realise his advances so quickly. This only furthered his suspicion of the magician. However, it also embedded an inalienable fear into his heart that made him scared to make eye contact with Lumi¨¨re Croft. When he had touched upon Lumi¨¨re''s silhouette, his shadow seemed deeper and darker than all, as if the abyss was resting in his very form. The shadows gradually receded back into Nicole''s silhouette, and he let out a heavy sigh. As the others looked over to the two with curiosity, the door to the dining hall suddenly swung open.

    Meraline emerged from the prayer hall with a calm, expressionless face. She carried a large satchel around her shoulder, and a sword was tucked at her waist. Like her, the members of the White Roses carried some sort of bladed weapon along with them. However, Lumi¨¨re knew he was likely the only one who simultaneously carried a firearm with him, tucked underneath his arm. Of course, it was an illegally-owned weapon, so he was hesitant to reveal it to them.

    Soon, they found themselves wandering the streets of the middle borough, having made their way through the massive gate that led up from the lower borough. Meraline had given them all oil lamps, and they set them alight to combat the emerging darkness of the night. Rain poured down in droves, casting the landscape in a veil of haze. Lumi¨¨re had been given a white cloak as an outlier member of Heaven''s Roses, with an ornate emblem of a White Rose on the back. So, he pulled the hood over his head to combat the rain.

    Cornifer incessantly flipped his ornate golden pocket watch open and closed. He fidgeted from side to side, as if he couldn''t stand being still for a single moment. Nicole kept staring at Lumi¨¨re with a hint of fear and worry, but kept glancing away as soon as he caught Lumi¨¨re''s attention.

    "The suns starting to set. Take your lamps and relight them for the sake of caution. Make sure to keep them lit at all times. Within the darkness, there''s no telling what can emerge. Just a short moment without illumination and the dangers that lurk within the shadows will see opportunity to strike." Meraline spoke calmly. "It''s not a given that darkness equates to danger, but it''s not entirely uncommon. It''s best practice to stay within the light. Stick with the streetlamps when you can. When we venture into the backalleys, make sure to pay close attention to your lamps."

    They then began to waltz through the streets of the middle borough. As in recent times, groups of Peacekeepers patrolled the streets, and people commuting back home from work travelled by public carriage. Few walked the streets on foot, and even then, they did so in groups. Gradually, they viewed their surroundings with a lense of wariness, searching for any inconsistencies or strange demeanors within the people that walked past them.

    Suddenly, Lumi¨¨re spotted the visage of a young girl alone in an alleyway not too far from the group. He eyed her with both suspicion and worry. However, before he could call out to her, he saw two gnarled, misshapen hands clutch her from the darkness behind her. She let out a small yelp, but the group beside him didn''t seem to notice. Without informing them of the matter, Lumi¨¨re bit at his lip and lurched towards the alleyway.

    ''Is it another one of those creatures- the Nameless? Wouldn''t it have been best to tell Meraline of such a danger? However, my body moved on its own. It''s far too late to think of such things.''

    He ran through the backstreets of the middle borough, turning corners as he followed the emerging scent of blood that filled his nostrils using his blood tracking ability. His expression grimaced slightly, yet he kept trudging through the rainfall without slowing his pace. Eventually, he came to a small enclosure where streetlamps weren''t present.

    Suddenly, the lamplight in Lumi¨¨re''s hands burnt out, the orange glow wisping away, leaving him cloaked in shadow. Fear immediately grasped at Lumi¨¨re''s heart, and he could feel the shadows underneath him churn. However, before he could calm his own emotions, it was pertinent to relight his lamp. He scrambled for his pockets to find a matchbox, but his actions were cut short by voices.

    "There''s no need." Several voices rang out suddenly. A crowd spoke in unison, their voices dampened by the stone walls of the alley. Suddenly, the space around Lumi¨¨re was lit up with orange lamplight. Then, the voices spoke out once more. "We brought our own."

    There was a crowd of a dozen individuals that had gathered around Lumi¨¨re. They all bore terrifying, unusual smiles on their faces, as if they were pleasantly surprised to see Lumi¨¨re. The child and the man that had taken her were both present. They held the lamps in their hands not by the handle, but by the glass, and so it was obvious that the heat was singing their palms. Yet, despite the pain, they grasped it in a gentle embrace. Apart from the dozen individuals, sitting atop a stack of wooden boxes in the alleyway, a man dressed in ornate, regal attire had a casual smile on his face. He had bright-orange hair and emerald eyes, and was incessantly twirling a chess piece in between his fingers.

    "It''s nice to finally make your acquaintance, Lumi¨¨re Croft."

 Chapter 49: The King in White who must Fall

    Lumi¨¨re looked up at the orange-haired man with a sense of fear and anxiety. However, his silhouette remained calm; the shadows did not dare tremble. Lumi¨¨re''s brows furrowed, and his gloved hand that covered his tattooed hand twitched slightly.

    "You have a scary aura about you, heretic. Tell me, will you try to set me alight now?"

    ''He knows I''m a heretic? Who could this man be? Is he from the House of Cards? Another heretic looking to duel me for my card? If that were the case, wouldn''t such a thing be prohibited without an official challenge? Moreover, there''s no reason for someone to actively seek out the lowest card in the suit... then, how could he know such a thing when I''m supressing my aura? Has he been watching me?''

    "Who are you?" Lumi¨¨re asked of him. He wasn''t completely sure that the man would tell the truth, but he thought he might as well ask.

    "I''m the person whose fun you ruined." The orange-haired man frowned slightly. "So, I''ve come to make you take responsibility."

    "Whose fun? Lumi¨¨re raised his eyebrow. "How could I ruin your fun? I''ve never met you before."

    "You remember Callis Alisander, right?"

    Lumi¨¨re''s expression immediately paled.

    "Alain Monroe''s sponsor would be quite the handful to deal with if angered, so I couldn''t exactly go after him- Lords of Leiden''s Wall are quite scary. However, it was quite fortunate for me that there just happened to be one other party involved in Callis Alisander''s death." The orange-haired man grinned. "You should be quite familiar with him, since you were there when he died."

    ''This man is Alisander''s sponsor? Moreover, he came personally? Are these people his servants? Why have they put on such a theatrical act?'' Thoughts raced through Lumi¨¨re''s mind. ''Alain knew he wouldn''t need to worry about Alisander''s sponsor, but I suppose that same protection doesn''t apply to me... so, what will he do now that he''s here?''

    "You''re Callis Alisander''s sponsor, aren''t you?"

    The man nodded his head. "You''re absolutely correct. My name is Orion- of the Callister family. I''m the eldest son with no father, and so I am simultaneously the head of the family. Isn''t that entertaining? There are so many fun things I can do as the head of the family, such as influencing the market of trade by sponsoring lowly merchants to compete in different areas of expertise. However, you''ve removed a puzzle piece that I had meticulously planned out, and so my scheme is threatening to collapse completely. That''s not very fun, is it?"

    Lumi¨¨re had a very bare knowledge of the nobility in the Forger Empire. Besides the Barron family, who were the direct lineage of the founder of the Empire, and first-choice to ascend to the title of ''Emperor'', there were dozens of branch nobility families that reigned over various regions of the western continent. The Callister family oversaw the management of the Divide- a city built into a ravine that was a large proponent of the mineral mining industry. Moreover, several elders of the Callister family were members of the Senate, the governmental body that discussed current events and political matters. However, he had no knowledge of the young master that ruled over the entire family, who now supposedly stood before him.

    "Act now, little pawns." Orion smiled as he spoke.

    Suddenly, the people surrounding Lumi¨¨re gripped tighter on the flaming lamps. The glass shattered, and the burning of the lamps ceased, cloaking the area in darkness once more. Lumi¨¨re immediately snapped his fingers, setting his lamp alight with silver flame. When he looked back at the crowd of people, all he saw was red. Blood dripped from their hands, pooling onto the ground in small puddles. They all gripped onto large remnant shards of glass from the broken lamps, holding it against their necks while they grinned maniacally at Lumi¨¨re. Horror surged through his body once more, and he glanced back up to Orion, who was still smiling genially.

    "Are these your servants? Have you sent them to lead me into your trap?"

    Orion shook his head in response.

    "It just doesn''t make sense, right? Why would servants kill themselves for my sake? Do I really pay them that well? Isn''t that unlikely, when noblemen love their wealth? This must be what you''re thinking right now, am I right?" Orion leaned his head on his hand before grinning. "Then, they must not be doing this of their own free will."

    He raised his hand slightly, and the people surrounding Lumi¨¨re pushed the glass shards upward, cutting them slightly and spilling more blood onto the ground. Lumi¨¨re grimaced and inquired.

    "What is it you want from me? Are you going to kill me, or just mess around?"

    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    "Why are you so anxious to get to the heart of a matter?" Orion sighed. "Haven''t you been taught to enjoy the small things in life?"

    Orion reached to his side, and procured a leather briefcase. He threw it towards the ground, causing it to open and spill its contents into the mud. In several denominations, stacks of bills littered the ground. Lumi¨¨re''s expression grew confused as he stared at the money soaking up mud.

    "Play a game with me, Lumi¨¨re Croft. This will make up for losing me a valuable toy in Callis Alisander."

    "What kind of game are you proposing?"

    "A game of death. You will kill me, or I will kill you. Those are the only two outcomes in this game. Whatever else happens in the process is just the fun of it all." Orion grinned. "Well, are you interested in playing this game with me?"

    Lumi¨¨re shook his head. "Not in the slightest."

    "If you don''t, I''ll kill your priest friend. I''ll take that attendant in the show hall who treats you with so much kindness as one of my mistresses. Perhaps I''ll buy the store owned by that woman who cared for you- Adjest Hammond, and make her sons work incredibly unreasonable hours until they''re forced to kill themselves so they can finally get some rest."

    Orion let out a slight laugh as he gestured with his hand.

    "Perhaps I''ll go to that quarantine district Leiden has, and go fool around with that senile mother of yours-"

    "Enough." Lumi¨¨re interrupted him. "People have looked into my background in the past. Do you think this much bothers me? If I kill you right now, do you think you can still do those things?"

    "I implore you to. Then you will have played your part in my game. However, you''re foolish to think I''m incapable of doing such things. These aren''t idle threats."

    Lumi¨¨re let out a disbelieving ''tsk''.

    "What is the money for? Have you simultaneously discovered my destitute background, and are flaunting wealth in front of me to gauge a reaction?"

    Orion snapped his fingers.

    "Now that''s a brilliant idea. You really are a funny guy, Lumi¨¨re! However, that''s not the case. This money is for the purpose of ''preparation''. Use it how you wish. After all, I''m going to kill you. I recommend you use it to grow stronger."

    "If you''re aware I''m a heretic, then you should be afraid. That is, unless you yourself are a user of a domain? Are you not afraid to confront me because you too wield power?"

    Orion nodded his head.

    "Wonderful. Your deduction skills really are brilliant. This game is going to be so much fun." Orion laughed. "You''re absolutely correct. However, it''s not a domain of magic I wield. This is simply borrowed power. However, its extent of influence is quite large. For a period of time, I can exert control of people. They will do whatever I consciously command them to."

    ''He has borrowed power? Then, is it from a demon, or an evil deity?''

    "Aren''t you hesitant to tell me such a thing? What kind of person reveals the cards they have hidden up their sleeves? Are you a fool as well as a gaudy person?"

    "Whether I tell you or not changes nothing. In the end, I''ll still be trying to kill you. In any case, I know the extent of your abilities. It would be unfun to start out on such unfair terms. A master of chess playing a game against a child without handicap is something anyone would demean."

    "Then, are you saying you''re a master, and I am a child? Is this confidence or hubris?"

    "Perhaps it is both, and perhaps it is neither. Maybe I''ve been messing with you this whole time for my own amusement. However, I''m still waiting for your answer. Will you participate in my game willingly, or will you participate after I mess with you some more?"

    Lumi¨¨re looked over towards the people that had surrounded him. Suddenly, the pieces of the puzzle clicked into place. Holding the glass shards to their necks, they had become hostages in Orion''s game. Moreover, having borrowed power from a mysterious and powerful entity, the shadow in Lumi¨¨re''s silhouette had shrunken back, failing to attack when his emotions grew out of his control.

    "Fine, I''ll play your game. All I have to do is kill you, right?"

    However, Lumi¨¨re had no real intention to kill this man. He only wished that his annoyance would end, and he would vanish back into the shadows. He simply couldn''t be bothered to deal with yet another powerful figure.

    "Very good." Orion nodded, standing up on top of the boxes. He then reached into his pocket and procured a small item.

    Orion threw the object to the ground, settling it deep in the mud. When Lumi¨¨re glanced down at it, he realised it was a chess piece- a Black King.

    "Then, I look forward to our game, King in Black." Orion winked.

 Chapter 50: Discrepancies

    As Lumi¨¨re stepped back into the street, he looked around. There was no one in sight, as if all workers had commuted home, and the stragglers had been moved away. In recent days, fewer and fewer Dwindlers had settled in the streets of the middle borough. This was the particular effort of the Peacekeepers, who were vehemently trying to remove them for the sake of ''order''. However, Lumi¨¨re didn''t exactly mind that thought. After all, the middle borough had begun to grow more and more dangerous with the rampant incline in activity of the Nameless. Stray Dwindlers who had nowhere else to go were not exactly safe in the streets of the middle borough.

    He saw the White Roses searching worriedly, so he approached them with a serious expression on his face. When Meraline and the others saw him approach, they rushed up to him with a mixture of emotions on their faces.

    "Where were you?" Meraline asked of him, a bit angered.

    "I saw a young girl out alone. When I chased after her, worried for her safety, she ran away and I became unable to find her. She shouldn''t have been out alone, when the Nameless have become such a danger. It''s unfortunate that I was unable to find her after that much time." Lumi¨¨re let out a heavy sigh. However, this much was just performance; it was the skill of a career liar.

    "We were worried. It''s just as you say- no one should be alone in the streets at this time. That includes you." Meraline frowned. "Next time, inform one of us first. Even if it slows a pursuit, it''s better than ending up dead."

    Lumi¨¨re nodded his head in agreement. "I''m sorry to worry you, Ms. Avelis. In the future, I''ll proceed with more caution."

    "Good." She nodded. "It only takes one moment of unpreparedness to wind up dead. Work on developing a process of ''checking'' before ''acting''. By making sure you have made the necessary preparations for an action, you''ll be able to face any unknowns and mysteries. If any hidden danger arises that you did not expect, you''ll have the tools to deal with it."

    ''This woman is quite wise, isn''t she? Is this the product of facing many adversities? By fighting the nameless, and dealing with the drawback of her own domain of power, has it led to such an intelligent woman?'' Lumi¨¨re pondered as he took in her advice.

    A familiar curly black-haired boy approached Lumi¨¨re with a serious expression on his face.

    "Nicole, is something the matter?"

    Nicole stepped in closer towards Lumi¨¨re, and whispering in his ear, said, "Let''s talk in private. There''s some things to be said. That much is clear."

    "Very well." Lumi¨¨re whispered in return, a coy smile curling up on his expression.

    Lumi¨¨re then turned towards the other White Roses members.

    "We have to relieve ourselves. Wait for us, won''t you?" Lumi¨¨re winked as he exclaimed to the group, before turning clockwise and walking alongside Nicole.

    After adjourning to a side alley that was out of the hearing range of the group, Nicole turned towards Lumi¨¨re with a gaunt, slightly-anxious expression.

    "Who are you exactly? Are you with ''them''?"

    "Are you asking if I''m a phantom, little mage?" Lumi¨¨re grinned.

    Nicole''s terrified expression only deepened.

    "Don''t worry, I''m not with them." Lumi¨¨re put a hand on Nicole''s shoulder. "I''m worse. If you say anything about me to them, you''ll be the last to die as you watch them bleed. Do you understand?"

    Lumi¨¨re had no understanding of why Nicole had begun to fear him. However, he wasted no time in using it to his advantage. It did not really matter to him whether his teammate trusted him or not. Not only had the influence of the ''Lain'' person began to corrupt his personality, but he had also determined himself to be the type of person that moved forward despite everything. So, he immediately sprang into action. His reasoning for saying such a thing was that he had determined Nicole to be a quiet, timid individual. Insinuating that not only his life, but his teammates lives would be in danger would be enough to keep him quiet, no matter what he discovered.

    "Why are you doing this?" His voice had grown weak and shaky.

    "Do you think there''s nothing to gain?" Lumi¨¨re''s final line stopped Nicole''s heart for a moment. "A demon gains amusement from such things, don''t we?"

    Even playing around in such a situation furthered his understanding of his own ''demon'' persona. If he were to act as ''Ophelia'', it was necessary at times to further develop the mindset of the persona, in order to act best. It wasn''t completely necessary to scare the young boy so much. However, Lumi¨¨re''s wasn''t going to leave it at that. He reached into his pocket and procured the deck of cards that the White Roses had been playing with prior. He shuffled the cards in his hands as Nicole watched on in confusion. Then, spreading the cards apart face down, he looked back up at Nicole.

    "Pick a card. Any one will do."

    Bewildered, and still a little frightened, Nicole did as he was told and pulled a random card from the deck, scared of the repercussions if he were to disobey. He now perceived Lumi¨¨re Croft as a demon, perfectly fit to his intentions.

    "Shall I look at it?" He asked of Lumi¨¨re.

    "Yes, you may do so. However, don''t reveal it to me." Lumi¨¨re smiled. He thought that by performing a magic trick, he could calm Nicole''s anxieties before returning to the group. After all, ever since he had met Lumi¨¨re, Nicole had not once seemed anything but uneasy.

    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    Lumi¨¨re then pulled his cap off of his head, holding it open to Nicole.

    "Place the card inside once you''ve taken a good look at it. Face down, of course."

    Nicole complied shortly after. Then, with a gloved right hand, Lumi¨¨re placed it above the card.

    However, when Lumi¨¨re ran his hand over the flat cap, expecting the card to be in the center as he had left it, there was a small silver mass inside. It wriggled a slight bit, and as Lumi¨¨re prodded at it, it sprang out of his hat. Landing on the stone surface of the alleyway, Lumi¨¨re recognised it as the repeating rabbit that he kept seeing within the middle borough. Nicole''s eyes immediately lit up bright when he saw the rabbit, his heart feeling a fervor that interrupted his anxieties.

    Seeing this, Lumi¨¨re was both elated and confused.

    ''This repeating rabbit¡­ is this one of the ''inconsistencies'' that Ms. Avelis was talking about? Then, doesn''t this mean that the Nameless have been conducting rituals to further the blasphemer goddess''s descent for quite some time now? Because I''ve been seeing this inconsistency so often, this can only be the case. However, why did it appear now, of all times?''

    Suddenly, Lumi¨¨re heard commotion coming from the alleyway that they had left the White Roses behind in. So, the two rushed back to them, the expression on Meraline''s face filled with alarm. She held a piece of parchment in her hands, a pigeon perched on her shoulder.

    "What''s the matter?" Lumi¨¨re inquired.

    "Let''s go. Ainsworth has sent word of their need for our assistance. There''s trouble brewing."

    After a short run that lasted no more than fifteen minutes, they came to the mercantile belt, the place where Lumi¨¨re''s friend, Alain Monroe resided. However, he was not there for a courtesy call. The building they arrived at had a door swung ajar, and splashes of blood had been scattered at the entrance. One by one, they stepped inside, their faces grim as they met the familiar man inside. Father Benedict, along with another man in dark robes with a red rose insignia on the back stood discussing in deep, solemn voices. Apart from them, in the center of the room, there was a perfect image of carnage and despair. However, there was no body to speak of. Only blood, and a strange pillar in the center of the room.

    Father Benedict, noticing the arrival of the White Roses, turned towards them. He greeted them solemnly. However, the White Roses did not respond in turn, their gazes fixated on the display in the center of the room- towards the mysterious pale pillar.

    "Is this¡­ human flesh?" Cornifer exclaimed. His face, like the others beside him, took on a horrified expression.

    "These ''pillars'' were found at the other locations where the victims were last seen." The man in dark robes responded in a grave tone. "Several people have gone missing tonight, in what seems to be over the span of a single hour. If it''s not a crime of mystical properties, it was meticulously planned. If we had any others to help investigate this, we would have called for them. However, we''ve been spread far too thin in recent days. You''ll have to do, fledglings."

    "Isn''t it possible that these ''pillars'' are the missing people?" Lumi¨¨re inquired seriously.

    "Very possible. However, there''s not nearly enough mass for it to be the entirety of their body. There''s still some of ''them'' missing."

    "Then, isn''t it possible that we''re not searching for bodies, but for remains?" Midas spoke, his voice unusually shaky.

    "It''s entirely possible. Actually, it''s the most probable outcome. The only reason we''ll move forward is the slim chance that there are survivors. In a world where divination into higher power is exceptionally useless, assumption and preparation are the key factors in survival and success." Meraline interrupted. "However, are you going to let that stop you? In the future, when you face an uncertain evil, will you cower like you are now?"

    Midas and Cornifer looked ashamed, while Ramses nodded his head in agreement, and Nicole seemed indifferent.

    "However, that''s no reason to feel down. This is what we''re training you for. This also doesn''t mean that you will be a sacrificial pawn in this fight against the blasphemer goddess. I''ll make sure you have the means to ensure both success and survival. However, having joined up, you were told of these dangers. There will forever be a chance that you will die a painful, thankless death. You have to decide to move forward with the intent to die." Meraline continued. "The key to becoming a blue rose is not to gain the training necessary to obtain magical power. In truth, your training is to give you the mindset to use those powers to ensure the success and safety of the Empire. You are not sacrificial pawns, for that implies your death has no meaning. However, it is certain that you risk death. You''ve been asked this question once before, but I will ask you it once more- will you proceed?"

    After a bit of thought, the members of the White Roses came to the unanimous conclusion to proceed. They all had their reasons for joining the White Roses. For Ramses, it was a means of escape from the persecution of the citizens of the Empire who despised his people- who despised all that related to the war with the eastern continent. For Midas, he had been roped in as a means to control the spread of the magical domains to common people. As someone without noble status, he was a danger to the ''order'' that the Empire loved, and so he had no choice but to move forward. For Cornifer, who had necessity to avoid a succession dispute that would surely have him killed, he had no choice but to flee in such a manner, and so his only choice was to continue forward. As for Nicole, the boy taken from the dangerous Phantom Syndicate, it too was his only option to stay with the White Roses, lest he be in more danger.

    And as for Lumi¨¨re Croft, a bit of danger was no matter. He had understood this much. He only thought the channels of information he gained in exchange to be wholly worth it. After all, he was someone who had faced the dangers of death on several occasions. He was well acquainted with fear, for in many situations, he had become it.

    So, they immediately got to work. Searching through the streets, they patrolled for clues or discrepancies that would mark the appearance of the Nameless. Consciously, Lumi¨¨re activated his blood tracking ability, simultaneously visualising the mana veins in his arm and right hand as he grasped at the aventurine crystal pendant in his pocket.

    ''I haven''t had much time to think of the ''morality'' of magic in recent times. I wonder, if my magic is inherently ''evil'', but I use it for the purpose of ''good'', then would I go mad? Since it''s based on my own morality and intentions, then if I just think that the purpose is ''good'', then won''t I be fine? Searching for missing women is surely a good purpose¡­''

    ''No, I can''t afford to be confused in this manner... I really should craft another ''persona'' just in case I encounter inclination to madness by accident. However, I seem to lose myself in those personas too well... this is really a troublesome matter, isn''t it?''

    His senses gradually deepened. His scent was broader, his vision grander and more fulfilling, and he could ascertain the temperature of the air to the exact degree. It was as if an entirely new layer to the world had opened up before him, and he was able to gather the context clues of prior events that had transpired in the area. This, of course, included the presence of blood that seemed to lead down the dimly lamplit street in the distance.

    ''Now I know where we should start searching, but how exactly should I lead them there?''

 Chapter 51: Welcome to Oost-Souburg

    "This is your initiation mission. Do you understand that much?" The man in dark robes spoke towards Ainsworth.

    Ainsworth nodded in understanding. "I''ll do my best."

    "You understand I''ve been sent to guide you, yes?"

    "Yes, and I''m very thankful for that much." Ainsworth smiled. "You seem very strong. I feel that all will go well in your care, Sir."

    To Ainsworth, who had barely been able to entrance himself into the Red Roses, the third-tier level of the organisation, he still remained an outlier. Moreover, he had still not adapted to his powers after journeying through the trials to earn them. He was, in most regards, the hatchling of the Red Roses. However, the man standing before Ainsworth was a decorated member of Heaven''s Roses- his senior by all metrics. He was someone Ainsworth knew nothing of, except for the fact that he was someone he should respect.

    So, despite the horrors he had encountered on the investigation thus far, he had no worries for his own safety. Rather, he was preoccupied with worrying about the safety of the newly-initiated White Rose, Lumi¨¨re; who had joined by his own recommendation. He looked over towards the magician, crouched down by the roadside as he called out to all members in the vicinity.

    As the other members approached Lumi¨¨re, he let out a sigh, preparing himself for the lie- a minor ''performance''. Lumi¨¨re looked back towards the White Roses with a calm expression on his face.

    ''I wonder, will they notice this much?''

    With his gloved right hand, Lumi¨¨re snapped his fingers.

    ''Deception isn''t inherently good¡­ but it''s all for a good purpose, isn''t it?''

    The outline of dots of liquid quickly formed on the surface of the stone road. They were bright red in hue, and had an illusory tint that only Lumi¨¨re could discern. To any other person who had no knowledge of the illusion, they were purely identical to dots of crimson blood.

    "I found something!" Lumi¨¨re called out to the White Roses. They approached one by one, Meraline gesturing him out of the way as she knelt down to glance at the blood. She then eyed upwards, towards the end of the road where the illusory trail of blood seemed to lead.

    The man in dark robes eyed Lumi¨¨re suspiciously. Out of the corner of his eye, Lumi¨¨re looked back up at the man. However, what he saw sent shivers down his spine. The man''s eyes were nearly bulging out of his head with the crazed expression of a lunatic. It was a death stare that he shot off at Lumi¨¨re. Lumi¨¨re pretended not to notice, and looked back towards the illusion he had created.

    ''What was he looking at me for? Did he notice something?'' Lumi¨¨re let out an audible ''tsk'', fear rising in his heart. ''I''ll stick to the back of the group for now. If he says something, I can try to play it off. I am a great liar, after all.''

    "Let''s follow it cautiously. However, we''ll keep to the side a fair distance and stick to the shadows." Meraline spoke after confirming the clue that Lumi¨¨re had pointed out.

    Behind the group, a slight, knowing grin crossed Lumi¨¨re''s expression.

    ''It''s really too easy to lead people. As a heretic, isn''t this ability too powerful? Of course, I cannot ignore the inclination to madness I will experience as my abilities grow stronger. However, for the time being, isn''t this too good for a career liar?'' Lumi¨¨re chided humorously as he followed in stride with the group.

    As always, Nicole had been staring at Lumi¨¨re with a curious and hesitant expression. However, when Lumi¨¨re eyed him, he noticed that the boy''s white cloak was waving slightly. The strange part of the ordeal was that there was no wind blowing to allow it to happen. Noticing Lumi¨¨re''s curious gaze falling upon him, Nicole''s face paled. He opened his cloak slightly to reveal a small white form within his interior pocket. It took all of Lumi¨¨re''s strength to not burst out laughing.

    Having fallen behind the others a short deal, Lumi¨¨re prodded Nicole slightly in jest.

    "You kept that repeating rabbit? Don''t you know that it''s one of those ''inconsistencies'' that come along with the descent of the blasphemer goddess? It could be dangerous to carry around." Lumi¨¨re chuckled.

    "How could such a thing be dangerous? Have you taken only a glance at it? Its eyes sparkle so brightly¡­" He pulled the rabbit out of his pocket carefully, holding it in his arms. "Besides, we don''t really know what the ''inconsistencies'' really are anyway..."

    ''This boy really loves animals, doesn''t he?''

    After a few moments of silence, and after preparing the courage necessary to confront Lumi¨¨re, Nicole followed up with a question.

    "If you''re a demon, won''t you harm the others?" Nicole asked worriedly, clutching the rabbit between his arms gently. "Don''t you all seek violence in the mortal realm?"

    "Does the title of ''Demon of the Garden'' sound inherently violent to you? Perhaps I''m only here to watch the roses flourish." Lumi¨¨re intentionally made a play on words. Seeing Lumi¨¨re''s casual demeanor, Nicole relaxed slightly.

    "Is that your moniker, Mr. Demon? So you really are a demon. Then, can you help us?" Nicole asked another question. "If I need to make a deal¡­ the kind that you Demons love- even if it costs me my soul, can''t you keep everyone safe?"

    Lumi¨¨re chuckled slightly before raising several fingers. "There are quite a few contentious points to your proposition, little mage. For one, you''re a black mage. You have no soul to barter, at least not all of it- isn''t that your inherent drawback to gaining power? Secondly, I''ve already agreed to be part of the White Roses. Doesn''t this inherently entail protecting my fellow teammates? There''s no need for a deal- this was a promise of my own accord. Thirdly, why do you care for them to this extent? To barter your eternity for the sake of others, can you really afford this cost?"

    "It''s not too great a cost. I know nothing else but what life I live now. It''s only been two years since I was taken away from that place, and still I dream of it every night." Nicole''s gaze turned downwards with sorrow. "Still, in my waking moments, Ramses''s kind heart warms me. Cornifer may be abrasive and rude, but he is helpful on so many occasions, and his knowledge is amazingly vast. Midas is a bit too confident and brash, but his talent really is amazing, and he wouldn''t hesitate to protect any of us either. As for Meraline- I doubt she needs anyone to protect her, but I would rather her suffer less than I more."

    "Then, you are really a kind soul. To still think of others before yourself after all you have experienced, even if they can protect themselves- isn''t that the mark of a great man?"

    "Does ''Lumi¨¨re Croft'' think of others, even if they can already protect themselves?" Nicole asked of him. This was in reference to what he perceived to be a false identity crafted by the Demon of the Garden for the sake of hiding in plain sight.

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    Lumi¨¨re''s expression adopted a bit of shock. However, after a moment of silence, he replied with a smile.

    "''Lumi¨¨re Croft'' thinks of things greater than others. He is someone who wishes to change the world for only those he considers ''precious'' to him. However, those ''precious'' people are only those who cannot protect themselves. Anyone else with the ability to do so is no matter to him. Isn''t that too shallow?" Lumi¨¨re chided. "In theory, he''s no hero for all. He''s too choosy to be a fairy-tale hero. After all, one can''t save everyone. Shouldn''t he leave those capable of fighting for themselves to fend for themselves?"

    ''Speaking of myself in the third-person so often is growing to be far too strange. I wonder if I myself will start to think of ''Lumi¨¨re Croft'' as a persona. Couldn''t that be too dangerous? I need to anchor myself to my own identity before it fades away.'' Lumi¨¨re chuckled internally.

    "I don''t think that''s particularly wrong. Just because Meraline can protect herself doesn''t mean I shouldn''t try to protect her, but it also doesn''t mean I should try. It''s just a matter of different people with different styles of living, isn''t it? Anyways, who would ever demean someone for saving people? Whether you saved one life or a dozen, aren''t you still a hero?"

    Lumi¨¨re chuckled while listening to Nicole''s response, suddenly pointed towards Nicole''s arms.

    "Your pet rabbit has gone missing."

    Nicole glanced downwards, and a look of horror masked his expression.

    "Don''t worry too much about it, little mage. The repeating rabbit appears often. You''ll see it again, I''m sure. However, I still don''t recommend messing around with an inconsistency born from the descension attempts of an evil deity..."

    "I think I was wrong about you, Mr. Demon." Nicole smiled softly. "Perhaps you aren''t so bad. At least, you''re far better a person than those Phantoms¡­"

    A shiver visibly ran through Nicole''s body.

    "Only when you know the worst of people do the most average seem like saints." Lumi¨¨re joked.

    Rejoining the group, the quiet conversation that the group was having began to be overheard.

    "Why is there so much space for the Nameless to conduct these rituals anyway?" Ramses asked quietly.

    "During the war, many parts of Leiden went unused and unoccupied. It''s not like there were many to come back to these parts either. Their residents also died along with the war. This is why there''s so many secluded areas for the Nameless to conduct their rituals." Father Benedict let out a sigh.

    Lumi¨¨re knew this much. He had spent each day at the monastery tending to those sent home from the war early, or the wounded that overflowed from the main monastery''s hospital. Afterwards, he had dealt with the blowout of strife, crime, anxieties, horrors, and depression that Leiden has experienced. However, only recently had he come to know that Father Benedict had been dealing with that and more. On top of his daily duties at the monastery, Father Benedict had been defending Leiden at the same time.

    ''I wonder... is he tired?'' Since Elise''s death, Lumi¨¨re had grown a bit estranged from his childhood friend. However, he thought he had known Father Benedict''s mental state the best out of anyone. Only recently had he learnt that he knew nothing at all of him. Ainsworth was a guardian of Leiden''s people that never spoke about his troubles or his worries. He was silent, and he was never beloved. ''He won''t ever receive recognition from those who don''t even know they''re in danger...''

    ''I want to protect him...'' Lumi¨¨re sighed inwardly.

    Soon, they came to a clearing within the mercantile belt. It seemed completely abandoned, with houses having been boarded up, giving the area an air of reverent silence.

    The man in the dark robes with the red rose insignia they had met prior raised his hand, signalling them to halt. Within the shadows, he scanned the environment around him, gauging a sense of no danger imminent. However, the clearing was all but empty. piercing through the stone ground, dozens of similar pillars of flesh were erected. However, instead of runes decorating their surfaces, the skin was littered with countless mouths, eyes, noses, fingers, and toes. They were all writhing. They were all living.

    Screams of agony echoed through the clearing. The White Roses looked at the sight in horror, while Father Benedict and Meraline began to prepare themselves for a fight. However, their preparations were interrupted by a gaudy, deep laugh. The man in dark robes slowly began to step up, turning his back to the cacaphony of horror as he took off his hat, dropping it to the ground.

    "Is it your guys''s first time at Leiden''s North wall, Oost-Souburg?" A plotting grin began to spread up the man''s face. In unison, a bright red mist began to spread across the ground, and the area around them was cloaked in a general darkness, as if the remnants of lamplight in the area had dimmed.

    "What is this, Sir?" Father Benedict asked hesitantly, his hand affixed on his blade.

    "The timing really wasn''t right... all the other Red Roses were preoccupied with other missions. The only one I could lead here was the newbie outlier who poses no threat to us." The man chuckled. "Isn''t this a waste of all the time I spent pretending? Even dealing with these fledgling doves isn''t worth my time."

    The shrieking of the flesh pillars intensified, shaking and writhing rapidly. The mouths chirped, and the fingers wiggled. The noses drew in the scent of the air, but all it caught was the scent of blood. Suddenly, in the shadows of the environment, dozens of individuals stepped forward, basking in the illuminscence of the crimson mist. They had crazed, maniacle expressions like the stare that the man had given Lumi¨¨re prior.

    "Prentending?" Father Benedict''s eyes widened. "Come on now, you''re joking- right?"

    The man just chuckled in response. In unison, the people standing behind him brought their hands up to their faces and grasped at their flesh. Their fingers dug into the skin, causing an upheaval of flesh and blood to occur. The fatty pink flesh writhed in their grasps as they gradually tore their expressions away from their face until there was nothing left but hollowness. In that hollowness, there was the face of a creature. Several creatures, all with misshappen mouths filled with several rows of teeth. Their bodies melted away into a mixture of rot and crimson-miasma, and small black tendrils writhed on their surfaces.

    Soon, the man in dark robes''s face began to melt away as well, his skull exposed, with the only remaining aspect of his expression being the maniacal grin.

    "Welcome to Oost-Souburg, fledglings."

 Chapter 52: The game of a demon

    In unison, the pillars of flesh ceased their screaming, casting the area around the man and the White Roses in a chilling silence.

    "Why do this? Why go this far? Haven''t you been a great asset to Heaven''s Roses? Have you been a traitor to us from the start!?" Father Benedict shouted, aggravation welling up in his chest.

    "You''ve known me for less than a week. How could you be angry at me when I''m basically a stranger to you?" The man shrugged. "Aren''t you placing too much of an importance on interpersonal relations? After all, when have I ever given you the feeling that I was an ''ally''? Just because I said I was? Aren''t your comrades fools for being tricked by me? I was just doing what I must."

    His face had all but melted away, revealing a pinkish-grey brain pulsing from behind the sockets of his skull. Flesh writhed at the edges of his jaw, revealing a sinister smile that curled up his lips. The man raised his hands into the air and shouted, "Chosen Beloveds, can you shout my name to the heavens so that Mother may hear us!?"

    ''A name?'' Father Benedict''s eyes widened in disbelief. ''Aren''t the Nameless supposed to be¡­ nameless?''

    The mouths that had been crudely molded into the pillars of flesh began to murmur a name in unison that sent chills down the spines of the Heaven''s Roses, as if merely invoking it was enough to have an effect on the physical realm, "Asmodeus. Asmodeus. Asmodeus."

    As he listened to the endlessly-stacked cacophony of trembling, pained voices chanting his name, the man in dark robes named Asmodeus erupted into a sinister fit of laughter.

    ''Doesn''t this far exceed the scope of the mission? If it were one Nameless, it would have been far more manageable for us. However, dozens of them at once? How many of us will die before we can cull even half of their numbers?'' Ainsworth''s usually-rational thoughts were set alight with anger. It was true that he did not consider the man, Asmodeus, as anything more than a ''stranger'' in reality. However, he had operated under the assumption that they had both made a promise to the Goddess he beloved. That sanctity, or rather the demeaning of it was something he could not stand by. Moreover, as a Nameless, Asmodeus was a threat to all he beloved.

    Father Benedict''s eyes shot a glance over to Lumi¨¨re, who had already drawn his sword and had a confident grin on his face.

    ''Fuck, why isn''t his instinct ever to run? Where does your baseless confidence come from?''

    As Father Benedict had ruminated on their situation, the White Roses had sprung into action, preparing themselves for a fight. They had all drawn their blades, and Midas had sliced into his own flesh, using his blood to decorate his arm with runes. At the same time, Nicole had begun to warp the shadows underneath them, his expression filled with a mixture of fear and bloodlust.

    ''This is way too much¡­ weren''t we here to train? I''m scared. I haven''t felt like this since I was taken in by the phantoms¡­'' Nicole thought, anxiety welling up in his chest. ''As one of the only magic users here, isn''t it my responsibility to save everyone? When did I ask for this? Couldn''t I have just lived a normal life?''

    His hands shook, and his body seemed to freeze up. The shadows he had been controlling faltered before dissipating back to their original states. At the same time, Asmodeus lifted his hands up in the air as if praising a deity. Then, he shouted into the sky with a deep, unnerving tone of voice that seemed almost inhuman, like an animal trying to mimic human speech.

    "The lady cloaked in mist; she who is draped in blood and strife. You are the interwoven fate of the world, the judicature of life and death. You are also the master of stories, the weaver of flesh and blood. You are the champion of those without names, and the rival of peace. Your benevolence is what I seek. Please, take upon yourself these humble offerings. Hear my name and repeat it with your lovely voice; invite me to your kingdom and in turn take my place. This flesh is yours, this body is yours; my mind is yours, my love is yours. Descend to our mortal realm and bless your loyal followers with your presence! I name you, and so you shall gain control-"

    "Don''t let him invoke her name!" Father Benedict shouted, turning his furious and desperate expression to the White Roses behind him. "Meraline, conjure silence! Drown out his words!"

    To an astrologer, whose power came from the influence of the sky, the night could produce an incurable silence that would drown out all noise. Such a spell was possible- the conjuring of silence. She raised her hands, mana flowing through her arms before gathering in the palms of her hands, warping itself into an intricately shaped spell resembling many runic circles. But before Meraline could act, Lumi¨¨re had begun to move.

    Lumi¨¨re immediately reached into his jacket without hesitation and procured his firearm, Cerces, pointing it straight at Asmodeus. He pulled the trigger, and a loud ''bang'' resounded as a bullet cascaded through the air, piercing its way through Asmodeus''s jaw and leaving what little flesh remained on his mouth in tatters.

    "Shut the fuck up." Lumi¨¨re said in a deep tone. "You''re talking too much."

    The tattered flesh clinging to his skull reformed in his sockets, turning into a pair of crude eyes. In unnerving silence, Asmodeus''s gaze turned slowly towards Lumi¨¨re. His eyes were bulging out of his skull, filled with a cold rage that sent a shiver down Lumi¨¨re''s body. Nicole looked over at Lumi¨¨re at the same time in disbelief.

    ''A gun? When did Mr. Demon obtain a gun?'' Nicole''s eyes widened in realisation. ''Right! It''s not just us here! We had Mr. Demon beside us all along! Moreover, he said he had pledged himself to protect us!''

    Lumi¨¨re''s thoughts were not so optimistic, however. ''Fuck, I didn''t think I would be tested so early on. How can I help fight without revealing my hand, while simultaneously propping up the ''Demon of the Garden'' persona? It''s necessary that it doesn''t fail, so that it can be used to abate the madness of Heresy. However, I lose either way. Either I act weak in front of Nicole, and he calls my bluff and realises I''m more likely the servant of an Evil God instead of a demon- or I use the power of Heresy, revealing that I am averse to the beliefs of the church, and simultaneously lose my persona anyway, succumbing to madness. As a black mage, they were able to take in Nicole with far less scrutiny. A heretic- one who goes against the deities would never be allowed near the church. I may even be killed by the Peacekeepers as a way to maintain ''order''. Haven''t I gotten myself into too much trouble by accepting to join Heaven''s Roses? What is a pathway to gaining information sources if I inadvertently get myself caught?''

    Lumi¨¨re''s lips curled up into a grin.

    ''No, I was thinking about it wrong. I''m a performer, after all. For a liar, there''s always a way out.''

    Lumi¨¨re tapped on Nicole''s shoulder, whispering in his ear as he passed by. As the White Roses watched in disbelief, Lumi¨¨re stepped towards Asmodeus with a grin on his face.

    "You, you''re one of the fledgling Roses, aren''t you? You were the one who discovered the clue that led us here. However, I left no such clue behind. I wonder how you managed to find such a thing?" Asmodeus looked at Lumi¨¨re with hesitance. His mouth had been blown away, but his inhuman tone of voice continued to ring out into the air.

    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.Lumi¨¨re shrugged before responding casually. "You expected to only be dealing with White Roses, didn''t you? Did you ever imagine you''d encounter a Demon?"

    "A Demon? Who''s a Demon? Are you messing with me now, fledgling?" Asmodeus let out a chilling laugh. "Are you so scared to die that you''ve become insane in your final moments? This is truly entertaining."

    ''What step of Ascension to divinity is this Nameless equivalent to? If he believes he can invoke his Goddess, he must be truly powerful. However, it seemed like an unsure plea. Perhaps he is mid-Ascension, at a level equivalent to the Five of Hearts I fought? He may be a little stronger, although this is all just assumption. I don''t have enough experience to tell. If this is the case, using ''Despair'' may be enough to kill him. However, I haven''t accumulated nearly enough fear at this point, despite having played the role of the Demon of the Garden in front of the three magic users in the house of cards, as well as in front of Nicole. Using ''Despair'' now would definitely kill me.''

    "Have you played as a human too long to be able to recognise me, fool?" Lumi¨¨re grinned, speaking too quiet for the others behind him to hear him clearly. "Do I look so human to you that you can no longer look past simple flesh?"

    Immediately after hearing this, Asmodeus squinted slightly at Lumi¨¨re, scrutising his appearance. However, he saw nothing strange in particular. Shaking his head, Lumi¨¨re let out a sigh. "You really are a fool to see nothing wrong with me. However, everyone else is as much at fault for not seeing me as I am. This is just the gift of being a liar."

    In front of the inhuman monster, Lumi¨¨re didn''t feel too much fear. After all, he had encountered the servant of an evil deity, and faced death on several occasions. Taking a line from Orion Callister, the nobleman he had encountered earlier, Lumi¨¨re spoke with a genial smile. "Well, then would you like to play a game?"

    It felt like Lumi¨¨re was soothing an innate desire. To ''perform'' really felt great, as if he were satisfying himself with any common vice. He had never begun to understand that innate need to be a performer, but every so often, he would find himself doing so, so that he would not become aggravated when denied the chance to become a spectacle. He had the need to foster reactions from those around him, and receive them in turn. So, as the White Roses watched in disbelief, frozen by their own fear, Lumi¨¨re couldn''t help but grin.

    "A game? You really have gone crazy. You would come up to me and demand a game?" Asmodeus scoffed. "What makes you think I would accept? Truly, I wish to know your process of thought."

    "You seem like a man who dislikes trivial things. Otherwise, you wouldn''t have been angered by our presence, too annoyed by the thought of all your hard work only amounting to the deaths of ants like us." Lumi¨¨re deliberately raised his voice so that the others could hear him. "So, rather than demeaning all your hard work by finishing us off so quickly, and boring yourself, wouldn''t you rather stake it on something where the grounds are more fair? Isn''t it much more exciting to risk it all?"

    Asmodeus seemed a bit unconvinced. However, he was still intrigued that someone he viewed as an ant would approach him with such zeal. So, he humoured Lumi¨¨re.

    "So, what game shall we play?" Asmodeus asked of him.

    Lumi¨¨re reached into his jacket pocket and procured a familiar ornate box. It was the deck of cards that the White Roses had been playing with prior to the mock patrol.

    "Fancy some cards?" Lumi¨¨re grinned.

    "I''m not opposed to it. What shall we stake on it, then?"

    Lumi¨¨re shrugged and replied casually. "I''ll bet the lives of my comrades, as well as my own. If I win, then you will stop this ritual and kill yourself and your friends, and then me and my comrades will go about our normal lives."

    "This isn''t enough. I was already going to take your lives anyway." Asmodeus shook his head. "Isn''t the point of stakes to give up something that you wouldn''t otherwise lose?"

    "You''re quite right, although that''s a bit grim to think about." Lumi¨¨re chuckled. "Alright then, how about this? If you win, you will let me live, but I will convert my beliefs and willingly serve your Goddess. As a servant of that Goddess, shouldn''t you be looking for every way to increase her number of believers?"

    Asmodeus''s eyes widened. Moreover, hearing this, the White Roses were in a state of further disbelief.

    ''Believe in the Lace of Blood? That Blasphemer Goddess? When did Lumi¨¨re become this insane?'' Ainsworth''s thoughts raced.

    Nicole bit at his lip. ''Why doesn''t Mr. Demon just kill this monster? Why is he playing along with it? Is this just the natural inclination of a Demon to seek thrills? I trust him¡­ however, I can''t help but feel unnerved.''

    "You fucking idiot!" Meraline shouted, finally losing her composure. "What the hell are you talking about! You should be ready to die before saying such a thing, even as a joke!"

    Lumi¨¨re turned towards Meraline from afar and responded.

    "Shouldn''t I be prepared to do everything to stop this deity, even risking the entirety of my being in the process?" Lumi¨¨re smiled, before turning back to Asmodeus. "So, are you willing to accept these stakes?"

    The tattered flesh on Asmodeus''s mouth writhed as if in pain before reforming itself back into the semblance of a smile, a grin spreading up on his face. "This is really quite interesting. I''ll accept your terms. However, if you lose, you''ll not only convert to my Goddess''s faith, but you''ll watch as I turn your comrades into my brothers. Is this a fair deal?"

    "Quite. Shall we begin?" A laugh left Lumi¨¨re''s mouth. Watching this, the White Roses couldn''t believe that their new comrade could use them like bargaining chips so easily.

    Asmodeus beckoned towards a few of the Nameless in the crowd beside him, and they rushed over quickly. They had lost their faces after tearing them off, so they were left with expressionless skulls dripping blood and torn sinew. Asmodeus smiled and placed a hand on each of them individually before whispering "Serve mother faithfully.".

    Then, they began to cry out in pain with inhuman tones of voice as they were wrapped in a malevolent aura. Quickly, their flesh began to mold itself as if it were clay. It melted, warped, and then reformed itself as their cries rang out. Bones cracked, and muscle became taut, and soon, the three Nameless had been molded into the shape of a table and two chairs, still resembling flesh and blood, writhing slightly. On the legs and back of each chair, eyes squirmed and mouths trembled. Fingers and toes stuck out, shaking out of fear. Lumi¨¨re''s brow trembled slightly, but he kept his composure and maintained his genial expression.

    "You''re far too generous, Mr. Asmodeus." Lumi¨¨re smiled.

    "Wouldn''t it be far too troublesome to play cards while standing?"

    As he sat down in the wet, gruesome amalgamation, Lumi¨¨re had to hold himself back from spewing out the contents of his prior meal.

    ''Fuck, have I gotten myself into too much of a mess? This man is really terrifying, as well as abhorrent. However, this is definitely my best plan of action. I''ll maintain my persona and hide my powers at the same time. For now, I am a Demon, who is also a performer.''

    However, his expression was different from his true thoughts. Lumi¨¨re grinned and spoke aloud. "So, shall we begin?"

 Chapter 53: Fear of Shadows

    "Do I really not look like a demon to you?" Lumi¨¨re teased as he looked across the table.

    "You don''t look particularly like a demon to me, no." Asmodeus chided.

    "Well, what is a demon really supposed to look like? Can you decide based off of that factor alone?"

    "Fair point. However, the aura that follows you around doesn''t seem like that of a demon." Asmodeus shook his head. "You seem more of a follower of a strange deity than a demon. Perhaps you''re just borrowing this figure''s power and masquerading as a demon."

    Lumi¨¨re''s face paled slightly. Of course, it only made sense that the follower of an evil deity would be able to recognise a servant of an evil deity. It really wasn''t possible for Lumi¨¨re to act as Ophelia, the Demon of the Garden in this situation. His opponent just wasn''t prepared to be lied to.

    "Ah, so it is so." A grin spread up Asmodeus''s face. "Well, I don''t quite understand why someone would want to masquerade as a detestable demon. For the purpose of others fearing you, I understand. However, existing as such a being comes with the inalienable identity that is despised by all, even those who don''t exist in the magical world. For a human who loves at their heart the idea of community, isn''t being hated your greatest fear?"

    The knowledge that Lumi¨¨re was a servant of an evil deity meant that ultimately, the Nameless Asmodeus had the upper hand. If Lumi¨¨re were to be perceived as a demon, he may be treated with a bit more hesitation than usual. However, as a mere servant of a deity, that implied that he remained human, and so Asmodeus was sure to look down on him. If that was the case, then Lumi¨¨re had a plan. This was the idea that had sparked the game of cards in the first place. Either outcome was perfect for him.

    "Would you like to shuffle the deck?" Lumi¨¨re smiled, reaching out his hand and offering the cards to the Nameless creature. Asmodeus smiled slightly with the flesh that remained on his jaw and spoke in turn.

    "I trust you not to cheat. If I discover that you have, I will simply void our agreement and kill you as initially planned."

    Lumi¨¨re nodded in agreement. It was a fair enough deal. However, Lumi¨¨re had not spent his entire life impassioned with the pursuit of magical knowledge without having anything to show for it. He did not plan on being discovered. So, after shuffling the deck showfully, he cut it and dealt out the cards. On each side of the table, a pile amounting to half of the deck sat.

    "Have you ever played ''war'', Mr. Asmodeus?"

    "I haven''t, but the concept is understood simply, right? It''s a matter of drawing a card and ''facing off'' against your opponent. Are you really alright- betting the lives of your comrades on such a simple game of luck?"

    "Nothing in this world truly bends to fate- it is up to destiny to decide the ultimate outcome. Small matters of fate like this can be manipulated. Even if it is just simple luck, I don''t doubt mine."

    "What would you know of fate, little dove?" Asmodeus chuckled as he drew a card, setting it face up on the table of writhing flesh. It was the three of diamonds.

    "It''s a common adversity for all. Shouldn''t even an ant understand to an extent that there is a way to convince themselves that some things are out of their hands. However, this is just the foolishness we use to cut out taking action as an option. What is fate to a person who chooses to defy it?"

    "Spoken like a servant of a strange deity. Tell me, do your compatriots know of your alignment? It is truly hilarious that you masquerade as a servant of that Goddess- when all along you were just like I. Aren''t we actually the same, saving the extent of our powers? I wonder why you''ve gone through all this trouble to set up such a game, when it would be far better for you to come to my side."

    "Is this a showing of your cowardice? Are you scared that you might lose?" Lumi¨¨re chided playfully.

    "Not at all."

    "Well, there''s one point that relates to fate that any poor wretch can grasp ahold of. While their destiny remains out of reach, the strands of fate are pullable- it''s a matter of being the marionettist of your own life to command its outcome."

    "Why speak of this?" Asmodeus asked, his tone full of curiosity. "Are you trying to buy time, or is there some greater point to your rambling?"

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    Lumi¨¨re nodded his head. "You''ll understand soon enough, when I cut the strands of your own fate short."

    Lumi¨¨re reached out his hand, having drawn a card from the top of the deck, and placed it face up on the table. It was the four of hearts, which by proxy, beat the three of diamonds that Asmodeus had drawn. Lumi¨¨re smiled playfully, and he could see the Nameless creature before him begin to fidget around in his chair.

    "Twenty-five more hands, right? What happens if we tie in a duel?"

    "By most rules, you would then bet up to three of your cards, and then draw another in an attempt to win an even greater battle. However, for the sake of keeping things simple, let''s just declare it a tie and move on to the next hand." Lumi¨¨re smiled genially.

    "Are you scared of losing the greater war?" Asmodeus laughed.

    "Not at all. This would simply make the game shorter, and I wouldn''t be able to stall for time as much."

    Asmodeus''s brow curled up curiously, and the remains of his face contorted with a warped expression of humour. "Wow, you really are a brilliant individual¡­ too humorous. I''ll win this game of yours, and keep you by my side for the rest of eternity. You''re actually fantastic company- do you know this, little dove?"

    "Thank you for the compliment." Lumi¨¨re''s expression warped with visible discomfort. While he had convened with the messenger of an evil god, experienced the end of the world through the memories of Gluttony- Aris Levant, and faced the endless and deadly horrors of the labyrinth, he couldn''t help himself from feeling fear in front of the Nameless creature. However, he wasn''t averse to it, either. Sitting in front of the monster in such a casual manner was, albeit slowly, accumulating the despair and fear that correlated to his use of the ''Despair'' ability.

    ''If I were to sit here for the next couple of days, I wonder what the extent of my ability''s growth would be? No¡­ perhaps I would grow used to sitting before this monster, and feel less fearful, inadvertently affecting the accumulation of fear and despair. Then, is it the case that I need to constantly seek out new and terrifying experiences in the magical world?'' Lumi¨¨re mused. ''Well, perhaps I should worry about surviving first.''

    Lumi¨¨re drew another card and placed it face up on the table- the one of hearts. ''However, I''m very confident when it comes to my ''performances''. Fall into my trap and crumble before me, you fool.''

    "Haven''t you lost this hand?" Asmodeus laughed, setting his card down on the table- the eight of hearts. "Why have such a happy expression. Why not despair in the face of your failure?"

    "There are still several hands left, Mr. Asmodeus. Why would I despair now?" Lumi¨¨re shrugged. "I feel you dismiss the power of the one of hearts card far too much."

    ''Moreover, I''ve ''despaired'' far too much to crumble to it in this paltry situation.''

    "Power? What kind of power could such a lowly card contain? Have you gone mad out of fear in the middle of our bout?"

    The game continued for a short while longer. The White Roses by the sidelines continued to watch, fearful of many things, and stuck in place as the crowd of Nameless eyed them ravenously. However, among them, the one that was most fearful had ignored his base feelings, and had begun to weave the shadows in the vicinity. Nicole''s face contorted out of exhaustion and anxiety, but he continued as he had been commanded. Prior to the game of cards, Mr. Demon had commanded him to do so. This was his own ''preparation''.

    After many bouts, the last two cards remained face down on the table. As far as the game had gone, Asmodeus had paid no mind to the cards that had stacked themselves face up on each of their sides of the table. However, when taking another glance at the two sides, Asmodeus realised that they had been tied, down to the very last card. Whoever won the last hand would ultimately win the gamble. The tension immediately alighted in his body. As a Nameless, he did not fear death. However, sitting in front of the ant who pretended to be a powerful figure, he began to feel a slight amount of fear uncharacteristic of him. Why did he feel such a thing? In the face of the gamble that would end the lives of his comrades, and resign him to an eternity of serving a Goddess he did not admire, the little ant had a grin on his face.

    ''Aren''t humans supposed to despair in the face of death? What could this man have experienced to have such an expression on his face in such a critical moment? Does he have a plan? If so, where does this confidence arise from? Who could he possibly be serving to have no fear?''

    Asmodeus drew the card on his side of the table and set it face up. His eyes widened as he glanced at its face. It was the one of hearts.

    ''The power of such a card? Wait- haven''t I¡­?''

    Lumi¨¨re drew the final card that sat on his side of the table, the one of spades. A grin spread up his expression, and he looked up towards Asmodeus, whose warped face had contorted in anger.

    "This card has already been drawn! I told you what would happen if you cheated, didn''t I? Now, you''ll all die! Forget the deal!" Asmodeus''s face contorted in anger.

    "Well, no matter what has happened, the deck has been split equally. It seems we''ve encountered a tie." Lumi¨¨re shrugged.

    Lumi¨¨re''s lips curled up into a satisfied grin. ''Watch your confidence crumble before me, you fool.''

    His hands grasped the edges of the writhing table of flesh, and he stood up from his wailing seat. His eyes filled with a mad sense of elation.

    "Do you remember what I said happens when there was a tie?"

    Asmodeus''s eyebrow curled up in confusion. However, Lumi¨¨re stared him down with utmost confidence and spoke once more.

    "Now, the real war begins."

    Suddenly, the shadows underneath the Nameless began to writhe furiously. Countless crimson eyes opened up to reveal a sense of madness and hatred. With the tampering of the shadows executed by Nicole, the familiar monsters that lurked within everyone had arose.

    The monsters in the shadows had awoken.

 Chapter 54: Abating madness

    Lumi¨¨re sprang up from the chair, throwing himself backwards as the shadows arose from the ground. Thousands of midnight-black tendrils began to writhe around the Nameless, engulfing their forms as they screamed out in pain and agony. Engulfed in shadow, Asmodeus stared at Lumi¨¨re through the eyeholes of his exposed skull. They seemed to burn with fury. Still he stood silently as the shadows took over his form entirely.

    "Get to work, my friends!" Lumi¨¨re grinned, shouting aloud. He looked over towards the White Roses who seemed frozen in fear still. Yet, having seen the current event, their hands moved instinctively towards their weapons, grasping the hilt and running forward towards Lumi¨¨re. They grouped behind him, and Lumi¨¨re stood up from the ground before looking over towards the group of Nameless that had gathered around them. In an instant, the shadows had left nothing but bones behind. The remaining flesh on their skeletons had been rendered away in an instant, and the monsters within the shadows had dissipated.

    However, the same was not the case for Asmodeus, who still remained standing. The shadows had washed over his form completely, churning on the surface of his remaining skin like a sea of midnight. From time to time, the tendrils would thrash out, slapping against the stone ground around them with a resounding ''crack'' like a whip. As the White Roses watched the shadows devour his flesh, they realised in horror that each time bits of skin and meat would disappear from his body, new, pinker flesh would take its place. It layered itself- muscles, sinew, fat, and skin growing one after the other in the places where his body was being eaten.

    For Asmodeus, a servant of the Blood Lace, the heretic Goddess, he had received her Boon. In doing so, he was granted the ability to shape, reform, and renew his flesh and blood. So, in a constant battling against the agony of being eaten alive, Asmodeus was renewing his flesh- piece by piece. It was an eternal pain, but also eternal survival in the face of the monsters of shadow. Lumi¨¨re''s plan hadn''t anticipated such a development. After all, what living creature would willingly accept such a pain?

    Clearly, the hatred and anger in Asmodeus''s eyes transcended such a trivial matter.

    "Are you ready to die, liar?" Asmodeus spoke in a low, grave tone.

    Lumi¨¨re''s eyebrow twitched slightly. Yet, like every performer, he saw opportunity in Asmodeus''s revealing of power. He raised his gloved hand up in the air and snapped his fingers. Sparks flashed in his open alternate hand, and out of the sparks, a rose sat between his fingers. The White Roses and Asmodeus looked at him in confusion.

    In the meanwhile, from inside his coat where his gloved hand had moved, he pulled the trigger of his gun. A bullet cascaded through the air, blasting a large hole in the side of Asmodeus''s skull.

    "It''s a magician''s job to distract. Really- isn''t this much obvious?" Lumi¨¨re chuckled. "I wonder- to what extent does the renewment of your flesh end? For instance, if at the same times as you were being consumed alive, I too were to take flesh from your bones, would you be able to keep up? If we were to fight, then I wonder who would die first- you or me?"

    The White Roses behind Lumi¨¨re immediately came to a realisation, understanding the true meaning of his words. Grasping their blades tighter, they immediately rushed towards Asmodeus in unison. Swinging wildly, his flesh was cut in several places. The tendons in his ankles were sliced away, causing him to fall to the ground. His blood dripped incessantly onto the earth below, staining the ground a bright red. The moon churned in the distant, casting violet light onto the red mist, turning it a faint purple. It felt as if they were in some sort of hellish landscape forged by the worst nightmares a person could experience.

    Lumi¨¨re then walked up to Asmodeus, looking deep into his eyes which carried an inconsolable rage. He pressed the barrel of his gun to Asmodeus''s skull.

    "You. All of the people you care for- your friends, family, and your beloved will die. I am her most beloved. Do you think she will let this slight stand?" Asmodeus cursed.

    "Will that Goddess of yours save you even now?"

    Lumi¨¨re pulled the trigger. Immediately, a bullet shot forward, tearing its way through Asmodeus''s skull, causing him to fall to the ground in a heap. The shadows in the area slowly convulsed, and the aura of malfeasance and malice began to dissipate. It felt like a weight had been taken off of Lumi¨¨re''s shoulders. He let out a heavy breath, collapsing to the ground along with the rest of his group.

    "That was truly a mess¡­" Cornifer chided. "What kind of training was this- a test to see if fate truly wants us to live?"

    Ramses let out a slight chuckle between pants. "Well, it''s too early to tell, my friend. Perhaps you will die tomorrow."

    Cornifer looked back at him slightly annoyed, about to say something, but Midas raised his hand.

    "Should I turn both of your tongues to gold, so that you will stop speaking?" Midas growled, out of breath. "Maybe then your words would have some value."

    Nicole seemed obviously shaken. Besides having to extend his shadows to the monsters which he clearly feared, he had used up the majority of his stamina, and so he was unable to stand up. Moreover, having witnessed such horrors in the past, it had brought up certain traumas that left him silent, stuck in his own thoughts. Besides that, he was clasping his ears like they were in pain. He had become the true mess left behind by the plan.

    Without stopping for rest, Father Benedict and Meraline had immediately summoned their carrier pigeons and sent off word to any nearby Heaven''s Roses. While the threat had abated, that didn''t mean there wasn''t any danger left to encounter. After all, they stood at the site of a ritual that had not been completely dismantled. Moreover, the fact that so many Nameless had been able to gather at once could have been proof of the fact that there were much more in the area. After all, Asmodeus had spoken of it being the product of a very long plan.

    ''How was a nameless able to infiltrate Heaven''s Roses in the first place? Of course, there are no measures using divination upon entering Heaven''s Roses. If it were so, then he would have been immediately discovered, as divination cannot be used on those more powerful than the user. Still, how did he manage to disguise himself so well? Apart from his countenance, which should have looked a bit odd when seen closeup, to ascend to a level as high as Red Roses within the organisation, he must have had to choose a domain of magic to ascend to. Moreover, he must have had to invoke the Goddess of Thorn''s name at some point. How can the believer of an Evil Goddess do such a thing without facing repercussion? There''s just too many things that are off about this¡­''

    Suddenly, Lumi¨¨re''s gaze shifted out of the corner of his eye. Where Asmodeus had fallen, his body had disappeared. Behind Cornifer, two glaring red eyes glowed in the darkness. A blade made of pure, sharpened bone had been raised into the air.

    "Watch closely, liar. The noble will go first." The figure behind Cornifer spoke in a deep, grave tone.

    The blade was swung downwards. Cornifer looked up at the figure, his gaze filling with fear, and his body frozen. The blade made contact with flesh, and blood spilled onto the ground in heaps. Cornifer fell to the ground, in shock. He looked up at Ramses, who had moved into the way of the blade. Along with the blood, several fingers fell to the ground. Grimacing, Ramses supported the weight of the blade. Two fingers remained on his left hand, and he had used the other to push Cornifer out of the way.

    Immediately, Lumi¨¨re stood up from where he had fallen. Father Benedict and Meraline, who had finally gotten over their initial fear after seeing Lumi¨¨re take down Asmodeus so easily also burst into action. Lumi¨¨re unsheathed his blade from beside him and swung it at Asmodeus, but he grasped it with his free hand, snapping it in two. Lumi¨¨re''s eyes widened, but he didn''t let it distract him. He then raised his firearm and pulled the trigger, sending a bullet flying at Asmodeus''s skull.

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    When Lumi¨¨re looked back towards Asmodeus, he realised that his form had changed slightly. The oozing brain matter he could have once seen behind Asmodeus''s skull had vanished.

    ''His brain is gone!?'' Lumi¨¨re''s eyes widened. ''Did he move its location prior to my bullet making contact with it!? No wonder he didn''t truly die!''

    Asmodeus tried to take a step back, but he realised that his legs no longer moved as he wished. Glancing downwards, he realised that a brilliant green light flashed, and his legs had been turned into solid gold. Down below, Midas grinned at the tall figure. Stuck in place, Asmodeus grimaced, and with the tattered flesh upon his jaw, he spoke out once more.

    "The lady cloaked in mist; she who is draped in blood and strife. You are the interwoven fate of the world, the judicature of life and death. You are also the master of stories, the weaver of flesh and blood.-"

    "Meraline! Cast this area in silence!" Father Benedict called out. However, when he glanced towards his teammate, his eyes widened. The skeleton of a Nameless had been warped, and the bone had formed into a tall, sharp spear. It had risen from the skeleton underneath Meraline and made its way through her flesh, piercing its way through her skull. Her face had a shocked, pained expression on it- frozen for eternity. Her body weight was being held up only by the sharpened bone spear, and all movement from her body had ceased entirely.

    In an instant, the skeletons around Father Benedict, Midas, and Cornifer also shot forth. They pierced the flesh of the three, pinning them to the ground. Everyone cried out in agony, and Ramses was thrown to the ground by Asmodeus. Only Lumi¨¨re remained beside Asmodeus. However, his blade had been shattered, and Cerces had yet to reload itself.

    ''Fuck- how could the situation have twisted itself so horribly, so suddenly? Am I doomed to have to bend to fate, and reveal my abilities?'' Lumi¨¨re''s eyes widened. ''Am I really meant to be the clown- to be tossed around by inescapable destiny?''

    His brain felt heavy, weighed down by the churning of madness that accumulated within him. In that moment, it was Lumi¨¨re that began to feel despair. It felt like fear, anxiety, and madness were on the verge of taking him over. In that moment, where ''Lumi¨¨re'' had begun to grow mad, another took his place to avoid true downfall.

    ''Lain'' emerged from inside the depths of his mind, a persona shoved into the dark to dissipate the madness that had accumulated while on the Five of Hearts commission. However, apart from the last time, Lumi¨¨re had obtained the necessary experience to avoid completely losing himself. This time, it was as if his mind was occupied by both ''Lain'' and ''Lumi¨¨re Croft''. He was a mixture of mess and madness, two people within one body.

    His expression warped into both a frown and a crazed smile, and he raised his hand to his face to wipe away the black blood that dripped incessantly from his eyelids. Watching this, Asmodeus''s face twisted slightly, sensing the malevolence that suddenly began to waft from Lumi¨¨re''s countenace.

    "So, is this what you call a ''demon''? Are you really only a liar, playing a role?" Asmodeus chuckled, grasping Lumi¨¨re''s collar and raising him into the air.

    Lumi¨¨re looked up towards Asmodeus with a crazed grin. "It''s the duty of a career liar to perform."

    Asmodeus disregarded his words, and began to speak once more.

    "You are the champion of those without names, and the rival of peace. Your benevolence is what I seek. Please, take upon yourself these humble offerings. Hear my name and repeat it with your lovely voice; invite me to your kingdom and in turn take my place."

    "If you don''t stop talking, you''ll regret it." Lumi¨¨re grinned. The madness that accumulated within him gradually began to transfer into the ''Lain'' persona. With this, he could shove Lain back into the depths of his mind, and continue to act as Lumi¨¨re Croft without worry. It was like filling a separate vessel with liquid in order to free space up in the main vessel.

    "This flesh is yours, this body is yours; my mind is yours, my love is yours. Descend to our mortal realm and bless your loyal followers with your presence! I name you, and so you shall gain control-"

    Once again, Asmodeus''s words were interrupted. With his remaining strength, Lumi¨¨re raised Cerces, which had reloaded after enough time had elapsed, and pulled the trigger. The bullet once again tore through Asmodeus''s jaw, rendering him silent.

    "Shut the fuck up." Lumi¨¨re snapped.

    ''It doesn''t matter anymore. Kill or die, there''s a gnawing desire in myself to perform. Where did this come from? Was it always in me? If I don''t ''perform'', what will become of me?'' Lumi¨¨re thought, his mind churning. ''Every performer knows one crucial thing- when things go awry, it''s your duty to stall for time until the next performance arrives.''

    Lumi¨¨re grinned.

    ''And I can smell blood approaching.''

    Suddenly, the darkness in the area was cast in a brilliant light. From the rooftops surrounding the clearing, dozens of figures in bright-white cloaks knelt, looking over the situation with grim expressions. On the backs of each of their intricately-patterned cloaks, the symbol of a red rose had been sewn into the fabric. A man jumped from the rooftops, landing beside the White Roses who had nearly been all but torn apart. Different from the Red Roses, he wore a white cloak with an abundance of gold decorum lining its seams. On the back of the cloak, there was a design of two patterned golden wings wrapped in thorns.

    With a grave tone of voice, he spoke out.

    "When a Nameless receives a name from the blasphemer Goddess, they are no longer a Nameless." The man spoke out, pulling intricately-patterned gloves onto his hands. "At that point, they receives that Goddess''s blessings, and become far more powerful. It''s no wonder you hadn''t the ability to take him down. A named usually takes the equivalent of three Red Roses to take down, and even then it''s not a guarantee that all three will survive."

    "Archangel? What is an archangel doing in Leiden!?" Asmodeus cursed as the man slowly approached. He threw Lumi¨¨re to the side, who landed on the ground harshly, feeling his bones crack under the weight of the blow.

    "Red Rose Whittaker¡­ no, Asmodeus¡­ it''s a true shame that you decided to reveal yourself on today of all days." The Archangel declared. "It''s been a bad day. I''m not feeling very lenient."

    He clasped his hands together as he approached.

    "Oh Lady of Ivy, the Crown of Thorns beneath the blood-red sun, our Goddess we belove; in you, we are just." As the Archangel spoke, the space around him seemed to warp. Pockets of reality twisted and churned, and dozens of black vines decorated with razor-sharp thorns appeared around him. As they moved forward, they dragged along the man''s skin, spilling his blood onto the ground. Yet, despite the dozens of cuts that opened up on his flesh, he didn''t have a single change in his expression. "Remove this Sinner from your garden. A traitor does not deserve your warmth."

    The vines shot forward, wrapping themselves around Asmodeus''s burgeoning form. The thorns on the vines immediately grew in size, digging themselves into Asmodeus, piercing straight through him. Each individual thorn became like a blade, slicing into his flesh and tearing him into several pieces. As his body crumpled to the ground in a heap of meat and bone, the shock and horror on his face remained.

    After appearing so suddenly, in an instant, the Archangel that stood above all of Heaven''s Roses had eliminated the horrifying threat of the Named. He was the right-hand of a Deity allowed to walk the Earth. His power radiated an extreme warmth that eliminated all darkness in the vicinity. Yet, as Lumi¨¨re stared at the man, he only felt a chill- a fear that wouldn''t abate.

    ''Sinner¡­?''

 Chapter 55: Lesser and Greater Houses

    Dozens of well-dressed men and women paraded through well-lit marble hallways that glimmered under the sunlight. They all wore various coloured robes and outfits that were fitted with ornate crests on their sleeves and backs, symbolising the noble houses that they derived from. Despite their seeming significance, none of these nobles seemed anything above the age of twenty-five. In terms of their houses, they were fledglings. Children, teens, and young adults had gathered in a large room illuminated by lamplight. They each took their assigned high-back seats around a long table, getting comfortable before initiating the processions of the gathering.

    Sons and daughters of the Noble houses would gather within a fantastic palace at the center of the world. It is made of marble that glistens like God in the sunlight, and stretches high into the clouds, piercing the blue sky. On a quiet week-long excursion to the capital of the Forger Empire at the end of the spring months, this was exactly what many did.

    "You''re a fool, Cattleya." A man with flowing bright red hair leaned on the long and ornate long table as if he were about to fall asleep. "What worth does your family have if not its slaves? Why did your father bother sending someone who doesn''t even agree with his own family''s trade?"

    The man who bore the surname of Cattleya, who had flowing lilac hair cut at the base of his neck responded with anger. "What point is there in arguing this, Argyle? I''ve been sent as the negotiator of my family''s position. If I say no to your offer, then that is my House''s final stance. Why can''t you accept that? Are you so much of a spoiled child that ''no'' isn''t an acceptable answer?"

    "Depending on the circumstance, ''no'' is definitely not a good answer." A feminine voice cut into the conversation. She had flowing black hair and a sun-bitten complexion that made it clear she grew up wealthy. It was the genius blade of the Fencer''s association, Artis Faulkner. "If we let your pitiful arguments take up any more space on this floor, we won''t have enough time to discuss actual important matters. Let me tell you now, ''no'' is definitely not an acceptable answer to this."

    The representative heirs of the Argyle and Cattleya Houses bowed their heads in silence, deferring to her point. Since she had left Leiden to return to the Capital, Lindgram, where her family had a large home she could reside in, she had simultaneously put it upon herself to be the representative at the Noble''s gathering. She had expected it to be filled with professionalism, but upon arriving, only found that it was filled with children who wished to play Lord. So, she had taken it upon herself to enact a certain level of ''order'' in the processions. After all, there were truly serious matters to discuss.

    At the long ornate table where the meeting place was held, dozens of familiar faces sat. They were the heirs of lesser Noble Houses who held various amounts of power. Hers, however, far exceeded theirs. The Faulkner family was a direct branch of the royal lineage family- the Barron household. Artis was not just nobility, she was direct royalty- part of a Greater House. As such, she had a path to the throne- being eighty-sixth in the line of succession. This meant it was realistically impossible for her to hold the ultimate seat of power, but it did give her a direct chance at ending up in the Emperor''s court.

    Glancing at the other end of the long table, she expected a familiar face she had grown cordial with each year at the gatherings. However, at the end of the table was where a new face appeared. He had feminine aesthetics, with long orange hair and bright green eyes. Instead of the suit and light cloak that many noblemen had taken to wearing as a matter of fashion, the man at the end of the table wore a bright-green dress. He seemed to glance around at each of the dozens of noblemen and women who had gathered in the room, as if assessing them individually.

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    "You''re a new face, sir." Artis greeted him politely with a smile. "May I have the honour of knowing which House has sent you here?"

    At the Noble''s gathering, it was far too impolite to call someone by their given name. It was already known by most, anyway. It was common practice to remember most things about the Houses and heirs one would encounter at the gathering. Knowing each minute detail about a person was enough to give one the upper hand in a discussion. This was exactly what made an unfamiliar face so terrifying.

    The man with orange hair smiled genially and responded, his mannerisms timid. "Callister, Lady. I''m here in place of my brother who had urgent business to attend to. I hope I won''t be too much of a nuisance¡­"

    ''He''s timid, and careless with his words. In just a single sentence, I''m sure he''s already become a target by most in this room. It''s a shame. Callister family, huh? Did Orion ever mention having a brother? I''ve read nothing about him having a brother in the briefs¡­" Artis ruminated. ''There was only mention of that tragic tale¡­ to lose a sister and a father in the same week¡­ I always wondered how that boy was able to keep it so together. Now, I had begun to hope we would meet once more. He always manages to make these gatherings entertaining¡­''

    "Not at all, Callister." Artis spoke kindly. "Don''t worry too much about such things. Just listen to the discussions, input your piece when prompted, and try to enjoy yourself. Welcome to our little gathering, friend."

    Pandora Callister nodded his head. "Thank you, Lady."

    "Please, there''s no need for formality. Here, I''m just ''Faulkner''."

    ''Has he not even read the briefs his family gave him? No, actually, it''s unlikely. After Orion Callister became the head of the family, his uncles withdrew all support of him. If Orion had urgent business, it was likely he was both the only one who could, and the one who was also too busy to provide him with the necessary information to attend this gathering.'' Artis sighed inwardly, leaning her head on her hand. ''Really, what was that man thinking?''

    "Faulkner, there''s an important matter that needs be discussed regarding my sister, who had been born a few months prior." A man from beside Artis spoke. "It regards your younger brother."

    "You want to speak of such a thing at this time, Bonaparte? Why is your House trying to make deals in advance- so many years away? Are you really comfortable to the extent to try and secure a legacy so many years from now?"

    "So you''ve already guessed that much?" The man chuckled softly, interlocking his fingers. "Yes, my family wishes to offer my sister''s hand, even if she is only just newborn. As you have guessed, this is a deal that will take place over a decade from now, if it were accepted. While many things can change, this much is normal for our Houses, isn''t it? Deals are often made in advance."

    "The difference is that the deal is made before the object of it can even speak, much less think. Why would we accept this?" Artis spoke calmly, with a hint of annoyance in her tone. "Offer it again when she has a mind of her own to make up about this matter."

    Suddenly, the soft and timid voice at the end of the table took on a deeper, more serious tone. "House Callister would like to offer something to you as well, Lady Faulkner. I''m sure that it will interest you, of all people."

    "Really, I''ve told you to drop the respectful pretenses. It''s just not necessary here." Artis sighed. "The other Greater nobility houses have been tied up for today as it pertains to a serious matter. However, if they were here now, they might take offense to this show of respect. Here, at least in terms of conversation, we''re all equal. It only matters how you speak, what bargaining power you hold, and how you approach matters. Please keep this in mind."

    Pandora Callister bowed his head in shame. "I''m sorry, I didn''t know it was to that extent. I''ll heed your warning and be cautious in the future. Thank you, Faulkner."

    Artis nodded her head. "Very good. So, what is this matter you wish to offer me? Knowing House Callister, can it really be so much? Of course, we aren''t averse to smaller matters in our gatherings, but I wonder what exactly you could want from me in return?"

    A grin curled up Pandora''s expression. Seeing this, Artis was immediately reminded of his brother, Orion, who always carried an entertaining yet scheming expression on his face. It was, of course, indicative of a greater scheme. Then, Pandora spoke aloud.

    "Croft."

 Chapter 56: Ophelian Morality

    "Things tend to twist and turn, don''t they?" A feminine voice called out from the darkness.

    ''Each time I rest, it''s all I can do to sit within the shade. There is no light in this vast expanse, isn''t there?'' Lumi¨¨re thought. ''The sun has set so long ago.''

    Curled up within the darkness, he watched as the tentacles arose within the churning darkness. He knew that the space was just a dream. He had far come to that conclusion. Now, his nightmares were just an opportunity to think. Nothing alike to the sights before him were scary anymore.

    "Things tend to let themselves fall away from your control, until all you can do is watch them from a distance." The voice spoke once more. "Do you regret that you couldn''t become the main performance?"

    "Always." Lumi¨¨re replied, still gazing off into the distance. "Who wants to sit off to the side when they far expected to be on the main stage? Why would I want to be saved by that man- whoever he was?"

    The voice had sounded out from behind him. The feminine voice felt like warmth on his back. He knew well who it represented. It was the cure of his nightmares, someone who had always been solace for him to confide in.

    "I''m sorry." Lumi¨¨re spoke softly.

    "Why are you sorry?" The voice replied.

    "I''m not sure. I just am."

    "Then it''s fine. You have nothing to be sorry for." The warmth embraced him. It felt as if the sun had enveloped him entirely. All his worries and anxieties seemed to melt away- a familiar feeling.

    "I want to kill them all. Everyone who was behind it- no matter who they are."

    "You don''t have to do that much, not for me." The voice spoke once more.

    "I''m not sure that it''s entirely for you. I think partly, it''s also for me." Lumi¨¨re replied. "I think in some way, I want closure for you, but I also want to soothe some remnant guilt in my heart. I know I''m not at fault for the actions of others, but I still feel as if I could have done more. It''s some idea that if I wasn''t so useless, I wouldn''t need to imagine you''re here when you''re really not. Do you think it''s delusional for me to seek the death of others to soothe my own worries?"

    "I don''t think it is at all, at least not in this scenario. If you think it will help you, then you should do it." The voice spoke soothingly. "However, I think you should prepare yourself for the outcome where killing them will bring you no resolution. It is the greatest clich¨¦ to think that revenge is the end-all solution to your problems."

    Lumi¨¨re ignored her last sentence, and continued ruminating as he stared at the writhing tendrils in the distance.

    "Elise, I think I''ve decided on my morality moving forward. It''s been the biggest problem churning in my mind to decide on what equates to ''right'' and ''wrong''. I think that discovering that morality fosters madness was a big driving factor in my thought process. It was necessary for me to come to such a conclusion."

    "And what is it that you''ve decided?"

    "I''ll call it ''Ophelian Morals''- after the character from that one author. It''s like the name of the Demon I pretend to be- one driven by madness." Lumi¨¨re smiled. "Sometimes, I want to burn it all away- this Empire, this land that drives the lesser to the earth where the rain collects¡­ I think those people are the only ones I hold dear."

    "So what will you do? Protect only them?"

    Lumi¨¨re nodded. "I''ve decided to protect those that cannot protect themselves, and use the ones high above as stepping stones to achieve my goals. I don''t want to treat people as equals when they themselves decide not to do the same. Isn''t this just a perfect rebalancing of society''s scales?"

    "I think that''s fine. As long as you yourself don''t feel bad about it, then this set of morals shouldn''t have any problems as it pertains to madness or morality."

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    "Well, even if I did feel bad about it, all I would have to do is lie to myself until I believe in it." Lumi¨¨re chuckled wryly. "Isn''t that the perfect opportunity for a career liar?"

    "And what about those that block your path?"

    "I''ll be ruthless."

    "Can you be?"

    Lumi¨¨re''s smile curled up slightly, painfully. "I can try my hardest."

    "Then go." The voice that sounded like Elise Alinde''s gradually began to fade away. The warmth in the darkness dissipated, and soon Lumi¨¨re was left alone once more, gazing off into the distance where massive midnight tendrils thrashed around in a hazy sky. Lumi¨¨re let out a deep, exhausted breath, and as he closed his eyes, his skin began to feel cold. When he opened them once more, the sun broke through the curtains draped upon the windows, the room around him bright and vibrant.

    From time to time, it would grow harder for Lumi¨¨re to distinguish a dream from reality, as if they were constantly intermingling within his mind. To him, an illusion had the possibility to become real, and so nothing could be completely real or fake to him. Reality was never certainty. He reached his hand out, idly tracing his gaze upon each individual line on his palm. Still, whatever waking world he found himself in, he was going to move forward with his plans.

    He had awoken in the warm grasp of the main cathedral of the Goddess of Thorns, which lie deep within the middle borough. The section of the cathedral Lumi¨¨re had woken up in was a section of the hospital ward where the Heaven''s Roses who were injured in duty were often taken. The solemnness- the quiet, it reminded him of home. It wasn''t ''home'' as in the cathedral, but as in the place where he felt safe. It reminded him slightly of Elise.

    The various patterned-glass windows dotted near the ceiling beams allowed morning sunlight to pour in- despite the fresh sheet of rain plastered against them. Happy vibrant plants in clay pots were hung from the ceiling, and ivy spilled from the rafters above. Bird chirps echoed through the curving halls of the hospital ward, almost signaling the arrival of summertime.

    ''This is the main cathedral, isn''t it? I can''t remember much after I was thrown to the ground. I''m glad those Red Roses and that man arrived in time. However¡­'' Lumi¨¨re''s gaze darkened considerably, shadowed by self-doubt and loathing. ''I wish I had been strong enough to defeat him myself. My lies weren''t nearly enough this time¡­''

    Lumi¨¨re''s entire body ached a dull, unending pain. In certain parts of his body, especially his shoulder, he knew he had broken several bones. This was because in several places where he had not received lacerations, his skin had been tightly bandaged, indicative of fractures. He raised his shirt up to reveal that his ribs and shoulder had been wrapped in tight white bandages, letting out a sigh of both pain and relief. If it was only to that extent, he would heal fine. His eyes widened suddenly as he came to a realisation.

    He slipped out of his bed and began to glance around. Next to him, besides the open window above his bed that revealed a soft blue sky, there was a drawn white curtain hung up by wooden posts. He pulled the curtain aside to reveal several other beds that were occupied by patients. Among them, the White Rose team members were lying in various states. Cornifer was incessantly fiddling with his golden pocketwatch, and he looked terribly addled, but he wasn''t any worse off besides that. Midas had been speared by the bones of one of the Nameless, and so his chest was wrapped in bandages, but he too was conscious and had recovered. In order to save Cornifer, Ramses had lost several fingers, but he didn''t seem too bothered by it, lost by the notes he had been scrawling in a leather-bound journal with his good hand. Meraline had been killed, and Father Benedict, despite having accrued several injuries during the fight, was nowhere to be found.

    Lumi¨¨re''s eyes dulled as he glanced at the figure who lied on the furthermost bed in the row. Wrapped in bundles of bandages stained red with dried blood, Nicole Auirore looked the worst out of the group. He was still unconscious, and his breaths were shallow and uneven. As he stared at the boy, his mind raced.

    ''I promised to protect him, didn''t I? If he wakes up, will he understand this as a failure of my promise? No, perhaps he''ll jump to the conclusion that I was lying all along. Then, he''ll realise that my understanding of his abilities and my strength actually come from being a servant of an evil god. Should I pray to the Sinner that he dies from his injuries?'' Lumi¨¨re grimaced slightly. ''No, this is a bad way to think about my comrade¡­ still, if this is how he begins to think, then I will truly lose¡­''

    A slight, mischievous grin curled up Lumi¨¨re''s lips. ''No, this isn''t how a performer thinks. If I want to put on a good performance- as always, all I have to to is lie.''

    Unknowing of Lumi¨¨re''s awakening, the White Roses who had their gazes distracted suddenly turned towards the churning beside them. Covered in bandages and dried blood, Nicole suddenly shot up in bed, his face filled with a mixture of anxiety and sadness.

    "Mr. Demon!" He cried out. He looked around, and found the gazes of his comrades. Nicole''s expression softened slightly, and his anxiety abated. Tears dripped down his cheeks, and his staggered breathing became calm. Behind the White Roses, he saw the silhouette of the Demon of the Garden, whose gaze had darkened significantly. Then, the silhouette spoke aloud.

    "Demon? Who''s a demon?"

 Chapter 57: A Demons Lie

    Nicole and Lumi¨¨re both stared at each other. His gaze was dark, with an air of mystery, but Nicole''s was vacant, a distraught expression on his face.

    "Who? Who is a demon?" Lumi¨¨re said with a smile.

    ''Ah, I didn''t mean to say that out loud¡­ is he mad that I almost revealed his identity?'' Nicole''s expression sank, fear grasping his heart like an ice-cold hand. ''Is there hidden meaning in his words? Is Mr. Demon angry? Is it because I didn''t perform adequately?''

    Nicole took a look around the room. Gradually, his gaze passed over each of his teammates- noticing the fingers that Ramses had lost, the wounds that Midas had accrued, and the addled state that Cornifer seemed stuck in. Even more, Meraline was gone completely.

    "What happened?" Nicole exclaimed, his voice wavering. "Everyone¡­ everyone is hurt¡­"

    Ramses stood up from the bed beside Nicole''s, a warm smile bathing the boy as he placed a hand on his shoulder. It was the hand that remained unharmed, five fingers present.

    "Our injuries aren''t your worry. Out of all of us, you were the one that was harmed most. Don''t you feel in pain, Nicole? We''ll summon the Clergy Doctor for you." Despite his smile, Ramses''s face held a slightly pained expression. It seemed even standing was enough to send an aching spasm through his body. Yet, he was more worried for his comrade than himself.

    Nicole shook his head. "No, it''s not too bad. You should sit, Ramses. Your legs are shaking!"

    "Really, it''s fine. It seems you''ve recovered well physically. I wonder if your dreams still plague you, enough to shout strange names when you wake up." Ramses''s face contorted with suspicion. "Who is ''Mr. Demon''?"

    In the background, Lumi¨¨re''s face remained calm as it had been. Yet, as Nicole''s eyes shifted towards him, he could see that Lumi¨¨re''s gaze had grown dark, as if intending to fill the atmosphere with cold malice. Nicole immediately averted his gaze.

    "Ah¡­ really, it''s no one. I was just having a bad dream, that''s all."

    ''How did it get like this?'' Nicole''s mind wandered, his heart still beating rapidly. ''Did I mess something up? Will Mr. Demon be mad with me?''

    No matter how hard he tried to recall the events that occurred after Lumi¨¨re Croft had begun to provoke the Nameless, he couldn''t remember a single thing. All that rang out in his head was a single sentence- "If you want even the slightest chance of saving your comrades, anger the shadows."

    However, everyone else besides Cornifer, who was still incessantly messing with his pocketwatch, seemed occupied by whoever ''Mr. Demon'' was. So, Lumi¨¨re began to enact his scheme.

    "Is this ''Mr. Demon'' one of those phantoms that torments your mind?" Lumi¨¨re spoke in a deep voice in the background. The others turned to him, only seeing that he had a worried expression on his face. This was the beginning of his lie.

    ''Sorry, little mage. This much is just unavoidable. I''ll have to use your trauma as a part of this scheme, so play along well.'' Lumi¨¨re sighed inwardly. ''It can''t be helped if you had to say it out loud, unaware of your surroundings. It''s just an unfortunate situation. In the end, you''re just a part of my lie. Being a casualty of my goal is a certain fate.''

    At the mention of the phantoms, Nicole''s face contorted with a mixture of emotions. After all, as a child, he had been taken away from whatever happy little life he had, and been forced to forget it all. What little he remembered of his parents and his family had been slowly stripped away from his mind by the phantoms, and he had been turned into no more than a weapon. That was their modus of operandi. However, the anxiety that plagued Nicole made him useless to them. Their lack of care for his usefulness left a gap in their cautiousness, and so Constantine Adler had been able to take him away from the Phantom Syndicate with the help of Adonis Trinder. He was then given over to Heaven''s Roses in order to offer him a safe avenue of life. As a black mage, he would have been hunted by the Orthodox Churches otherwise.

    It was all things that Nicole wanted to forget, to tuck away in the deepest part of himself. If he didn''t readily prepare himself to think or speak of the topic of his past, it would shake him. Being struck by a blade without raising your shield brought along wounds.

    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.''What is Mr. Demon talking about suddenly?'' Nicole''s heart began to beat, unaware of Lumi¨¨re''s ploy. ''Is he trying to tell me something? He wouldn''t say something like that so suddenly if it had no meaning.''

    "Ah, I see. It was related to your past. That''s why you were having bad dreams¡­" Midas spoke from behind Ramses. "Well, that explains it well enough. We shouldn''t pry further, Ramses."

    Ramses nodded his head. "My apologies, Nicole. I didn''t mean to bring up bad memories."

    Nicole shook his head, a frown still present on his face. "No, it''s okay. It''s just something I have to deal with, right?"

    In the background, Lumi¨¨re let out a quiet sigh, having averted the situation. By making Nicole feel bad, it inadvertently made the others feel bad. By seeing that they had brought up Nicole''s latent trauma, it discouraged them from prying further into the topic. This also planted the seed of an idea that any mentions of ''Mr. Demon'' in the future were related to Nicole''s past with the Phantom Syndicate, and so it would disallow them from prying further to keep Nicole''s mental state stable.

    ''Lies are a necessary tool for me. However, that is only the case for myself. To expect someone else- Nicole to lie on my behalf is a shaky foundation to stand on. I wonder what exactly constitutes a ''lie''? Is it the lack of the knowledge of the truth that makes a lie into belief? Then, as Nicole does not know I am not really a demon, does that make it the truth- a real belief for him?'' Lumi¨¨re ruminated. ''As far as strength goes, belief will always hold steadfast in comparison to a lie. One will die for their beliefs, but one will be killed for their lies. Then, it must be that the purpose of lying is to make people believe. To believe is to make real. In this instance, the Demon of the Garden, Ophelia, has already become real in many minds. However, it''s harder to make some people believe than others.''

    ''To this extent, Nicole was like a test. It seems that for now, it''s better off to leave ''Lumi¨¨re'' and ''Demon of the Garden'' as separate identities, at least in my personal life. The deeper my lies are tied to the ''true'' me, the easier they can be unraveled.'' Lumi¨¨re lamented inwardly. ''Still, this conclusive mantra doesn''t solve the current problem. How should I deal with Nicole?''

    Lumi¨¨re drew the curtain that separated him and the others and began to pace back and forth beside his bed. His hand nestled his chin as he began to lose himself in his thoughts.

    ''The problem this time was that I was too hasty in establishing my persona in order to avoid Nicole''s conclusion that I''m a servant of an evil god. I wanted to scare him to avoid him messing with me, and revealing my persona as a Demon was just a way to accomplish that. After all, those who use magic against me always seem to discover the strange aspects that surround me- the protection of being a servant of the Sinner. However, I didn''t think it through enough. Mixing my identities in a social circle that was directly connected to my most personal life was a mistake.'' Lumi¨¨re nodded his head, having come to a conclusion. ''The difference in acting as Ophelia in front of Cartwell Heffen, Zelia Chatelaine, and Juno from the House of Cards is that despite knowing of ''Lumi¨¨re Croft'', they are very far removed from my actual life. There is a lot of time to plan and act around them in order to maintain my identity as the Demon of the Garden, as opposed to acting around Nicole, who can begin to mess things up so suddenly as he just did.''

    Suddenly, Lumi¨¨re came to a realisation, his eyes widening.

    ''Shall I bring him to meet Juno, Cartwell, and Zelia? If I can keep the ones who think that Lumi¨¨re is equivalent to Ophelia close together, then managing and improving this identity will become far easier. The more people of different values and backgrounds I have in proximity to me, the easier it will become for me to act as my persona in different situations. Moreover, it will just be another person I can use to accomplish my goal of taking down the Phantoms- a plot that Nicole might be quite interested in.'' Lumi¨¨re''s lips curled up into a grin. ''It''s funny. Lying used to be about performance for the sake of my career. Now, lying as a performance gambles my entire life for the sake of my goal. Isn''t that humorous?''

 Chapter 58: Archangel

    At most, in comparison to his comrades in the White Roses, Lumi¨¨re had gotten off easily. He had suffered a few broken bones, which after a week had begun to heal slightly. Meraline Avelis, a Blue Rose who had been acting as the leader of the White Roses had been buried in secret. This wasn''t just for the sake of her privacy, nor just to keep the general populace from finding out about Heaven''s Roses. It was also because the Nameless, who had grown rampant in recent times, loved to use the bodies of deceased Roses as hosts for their horrific actions. This was, in a way, all to wreak havoc on the emotional states of those who may have known the deceased personally.

    Regardless, the White Roses who learned under her were barred from attending Meraline''s funeral. Whatever family she had was not informed of her death, either. Being a Heaven''s Rose usually meant separation from one''s personal and family life. This wasn''t because it was forbidden. In fact, it wasn''t even standard practice. It was just a general acceptance that as a Heaven''s Rose, you were under the constant threat of death, which extended to your loved ones.

    "She had a daughter, I believe. She didn''t really talk about her life much. None of us do." Lumi¨¨re overheard Father Benedict talking as he walked through the halls of the Cathedral''s hospital. As he peered around the corner, he saw the familiar face of his childhood friend. However, next to him was a figure that made Lumi¨¨re''s skin crawl. He wore a long white cloak with gold patterning along its trim, with a large emblem of two intertwined feathered wings on its back. It was the Archangel that Lumi¨¨re had seen take down the Nameless, Asmodeus, just a week prior. "Mr. Selaphiel, are you sure it''s that necessary to keep her family in the dark?"

    "That''s what she wanted, for the sake of the protection of her family. All members of Heaven''s Roses are made to write down their wills once entering a domain of magic. You know this much- you did it yourself. It''s the blood contract of an alchemist. It can''t be ignored, nor is there any way you can skirt past it." The Archangel replied in a deep voice. "It is just how it has to be. Often times, reality is just that unfortunate."

    Being a Heaven''s Rose was a service to society, but it was also a punishment for the guilty, and a home for the needy. If you were unlucky enough to stumble into danger involving the Nameless, and also have been born to poverty, it was a likely choice to join the Heaven''s Roses. After all, you became surrounded by all aspects of a home- food, family, and warmth, all at the cost of danger that you were already facing. The only key to unlocking a life as a member of Heaven''s Roses was to, by any insignificant odds, face death and come out alive.

    However, it was also punishment. If one committed a deed that went against common law, which was not inherently punishable by death, it was a consideration to force them to join Heaven''s Roses. Under the strict watch of the overseer, who was usually a higher-ranking Rose, they would be initiated into a Rose team in order to pay back their ''debt to society''. Of course, even knowing they were facing death, many thought it a fine offer in exchange for escaping a lengthy time in prison.

    It was a family of misfits, a group of outcasts; it was a home for the unwanted, a funeral for those that society did not want to remain alive.

    As Lumi¨¨re listened in on their conversation, the Archangel, Selaphiel, suddenly turned his head and spoke towards the corner of the hallway. "Do you have something to add, little fledgling?"

    Lumi¨¨re''s body tensed up slightly. He peeked his head around the corner to see that both Father Benedict and the Archangel had turned to look towards him. Father Benedict had a slightly annoyed look on his face, but the Archangel''s once serious expression grew a bit genial. He smiled and gestured towards Lumi¨¨re. "Come closer. Why not join the conversation? We''re talking about your former advisor, Meraline Avelis."

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    Lumi¨¨re slowly came around the corner hesitantly, glancing around the room they had been talking in before facing the man who stood taller than himself. The man dressed in an ornate white cloak had short black hair parted on both sides of his head, and his eyes were enveloped in dark rings of fatigue. He looked slightly haggard, but at the same time also regal in appearance. He was a mess who conducted himself as if he wasn''t.

    In his presence, Lumi¨¨re could immediately tell that his power paled in comparison to the Sinner''s messenger, Mr. Sand. He could also tell that he was not even equivalent to the Joker who presided over the House of Cards. Still, the calm and silent aura that exuded restrained killing intent. It was like a knife balanced on a fingertip that could fall either way; it was a feeling that showed one was welcome, but could also be killed at any moment. Lumi¨¨re realised then that he had grown far too accustomed to acting bigger than he was. In reality, to most people he was not actively playing a persona in front of, he was equivalent to a normal person who lacked any significant power. In front of the Archangel, he was truly a bug.

    After all, lies and belief were not always equivalent to reality.

    "Ms. Meraline was an unfortunate casualty. If I had acted with more tact, she would have survived." Lumi¨¨re replied, his voice calm and unwavering. It was uncharacteristic of someone who had guilt in his heart. In fact, Lumi¨¨re didn''t have any. It was just the result of his decision to use the Roses as a stepping stone towards his goal.

    "No, I don''t think there''s much you could have done." Selaphiel spoke with a smile. He had picked up on Lumi¨¨re''s demeanor.

    ''Well, this much is something I need to show off. My enigmatic actions in such a dangerous situation would seem strange, unless it was clear that I had no care for those around me. If I were someone who actually cared for my comrades, acting so brazenly would bring up too many questions. Particularly, it would seem suspicious that I would have enough confidence to protect my comrades in that situation. However, a selfish person who only looks out for himself might have enough confidence to try and survive on his own if he were to sacrifice his teammates.''

    "You''re the type of person I tend to like the least, Lumi¨¨re Croft." Selaphiel spoke, a smile still unwavering on his expression.

    In the background, Father Benedict''s annoyed expression turned a bit surprised by the Archangel''s sudden comment. Lumi¨¨re''s expression mimicked the same. However, his internal mood shifted drastically, like a fire had been lit inside his eyes to mark the beginning of his performance.

    ''Perfect. It doesn''t really matter to me if you like me. It only matters that you know who I am. It only matters that you know the me that I want you to see.''

    So, Lumi¨¨re shrugged. "If you don''t like me, then it seems I have no further use for standing here."

    As Lumi¨¨re turned to walk away, Selaphiel called out once more. However, it was not like his usual voice. His words did not sound out into the air, but rather loudly reverberated in Lumi¨¨re''s head. His mind pulsed, and he felt pangs of pain beating rapidly in his head.

    "Lumi¨¨re Croft. I will find out what is so strange about you. Everyone else seems blind to your antics, but I''m watching closely." Selaphiel spoke amiably. It was like he had projected his voice only into Lumi¨¨re''s head. "I can tell your words are carefully crafted. You''re a liar. A very good one, at that. How danger seems to surround you- I wonder how long you can continue to lie? Will it be as long as you live, or will you lie even beyond the grave? All I know for certain is that with what little power you have, you will surely die."

    Lumi¨¨re turned his head slightly and grinned, speaking aloud. "Die? I have trusted comrades beside me. I don''t fear that outcome."

    Lumi¨¨re then turned his gaze away and began walking back towards the main hospital wing. Soon, he was gone.

    "Wait! Lumi!" Ainsworth Benedict called out, rushing towards the corner where Lumi¨¨re had turned. Realising he had left the Archangel behind, he suddenly turned towards Selaphiel and bowed his head. "Sorry, Mr. Selaphiel. I''ll take my leave now."

    Selaphiel nodded his head and smiled. "Sure. Have a nice day, Mr. Benedict."

    As he watched Ainsworth chase behind Lumi¨¨re, Selaphiel laughed slightly.

    ''Lumi¨¨re Croft¡­ why do the dangers of the world follow you? Death hangs above you like a dark cloud¡­''

 Chapter 59: A Nobles request

    After the meeting of the Lesser Nobles, Artis Faulkner and Pandora Callister adjourned to a private meeting room, of which the Celestial Marble Palace was abundant with in order to talk freely and securely. Whilst the main meeting halls that Nobles would meet in were vast and open, they were also filled with prying eyes and listening ears that hid within the dark corners. The private meeting rooms, while smaller and less regal, had no such shadows for those with ill intent to hide within.

    "What do you know about Lumi¨¨re Croft?" Artis asked plainly, sitting across from the man with fiery-orange hair.

    Pandora Callister leaned his head on his hand like his brother and laughed softly. He could not forget his own timid nature, but he could forgive it and pretend slightly, as if he were as confident and brazen as his brother.

    "I don''t know much about him personally." Pandora smiled slightly. It was obvious he was withholding his own words. He was pressing Artis for any obvious reaction. He knew that there was a connection between Artis Faulkner and Lumi¨¨re Croft. While he had acted timid during the Lesser Noble''s meeting, it did not mean that he was devoid of any skill when it came to acting as a Noble. It was par for the course for one to be as serpent-like as possible when it came to interacting with other Nobles. "Shall I speak frankly, Ms. Faulkner?"

    Artis''s visage stiffened. "It''s just Faulkner, Callister. How many times will I have to keep reminding you of that? This is meant to breed equality between us Nobles."

    "We''re not equal in this conversation, are we?"

    Pandora''s words cut through the tense atmosphere that hung in the air. He knew he had the upper hand when it came to conversing. After all, the intrigue that Artis had as to how Pandora Callister knew of her connection to the nameless show magician remained unresolved. What could he possibly want, confronting her with this? Was it some strange perversion brought on by Orion''s brazenness? Was it a simple threat? She knew that as tall as Pandora tried to stand, he was likely just a pawn in his brother''s plan. Still, even a messenger could deliver a death warrant.

    Pandora cleared his throat, and then with an amiable tone, he said, "Master of Blades, Dreselle Artois is dead."

    Artis''s expression darkened. ''That old man? He''s dead? How didn''t I hear of this, despite the information channels I''ve gathered? No¡­ how did the Callisters hear of it first? Is this information that anyone knows? After all, old master Artois tends to be a recluse. Then¡­ the only way that the Callisters could know of something like this¡­''

    "Is this truth?" Artis asked calmly. "Or is it one of your brother''s lies, meant to trick me as some sick joke?"

    "It''s the truth, I assure you." Pandora gestured with his hand to emphasise his point.

    "Then get to the point of you bringing it up in the first place." Artis crossed her legs, leaning back in her seat casually. It was a move to try and establish physical dominance. If Pandora returned to his meek and timid state, his position in discussion was over.

    To her surprise, he did exactly that. His face paled, and his eyes darkened, leaning over in his chair despondently.

    "Orion plans to kill that man. That, or have himself killed in the process."

    Silence filled the air. While Artis had anticipated some sort of ploy to be enacted, it was far beyond what she had imagined. Orion Callister, to most nobles, was a trickster. He was a thrill-seeker, one who found joy in playing games. Unlike Lesser Nobles, who weren''t so privy to information about their peers, as a Higher Noble, Artis knew well of Orion and Pandora Callister''s past.

    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    She knew he was a man whose will to continue was constantly degrading, day by day.

    "Why?" Artis''s gaze flickered. "Is this a game of his? Why Lumi¨¨re Croft?"

    "It was something about a merchant he sponsored in Leiden. Our Callister family has good connections with the Lord of the North Wall, Oost-Souburg. Orion was able to bypass the Lord of the North Wall and procure the services of a merchant by acting as a sponsor." Pandora sighed. "However, the merchant Orion sponsored, Callis Alisander tended to be hot-headed, getting himself into feuds with other merchants. After a feud with a certain merchant, it grew to the point where a duel became necessary to resolve tension."

    "And what does any of that have to do with Lumi¨¨re Croft?" Artis spoke tersely. "Are you just here to mess with me, or will you eventually get to your point?"

    Pandora coughed slightly, raising his hand to his mouth before speaking in a gravelly voice. "Lumi¨¨re Croft was the second to the rivaling merchant, and Callis Alisander was killed in combat."

    ''Fuck, is that really true? If Lumi¨¨re had connections with this merchant, it would make sense that the merchant would request he be a second¡­ after all, Lumi¨¨re is a great swordsman. But this is just too strange¡­ is Orion seeking revenge? Why not go after the merchant? Is Orion scared?''

    "By chance, who is the lord who sponsored that rival merchant?" Artis asked inquisitively, a finger resting on her lips as she ruminated.

    "The merchant, Alain Monroe, was sponsored by the Lord of Leiden''s west wall, Ried."

    Artis''s expression paled, the same as Pandora''s. After all, hearing such a name was enough to make any Noble scared, whether they were Lesser or Greater. Each of Leiden''s four walls was guarded by a Lord, all four of which were of Greater Noble houses. They were charged with watching over the sectors of industry in the middle borough, and guarding the high borough from any danger, in which many Greater and Lesser nobles lived. Their names were never known, to hide their identities as ''guardians of the wall''. Intermingled in noble gatherings, one could never know which of them was a Lord of Leiden. It was an assumption that any and every person could hold such a position in secret.

    Leiden lied on the most-western part of the west continent, which was controlled by the Forger Empire. Because the west continent often found themselves at war with the eastern-most continent, Baruunlan, this meant that the western shore was often at risk of attack by sea. After all, if an army from Baruunlan were to sail east, they would eventually wrap around and reach the western shore of the Forger Empire. This left the west wall of Leiden, Ried, at the forefront of attack.

    So, the Lord of Ried was thought to have been upheld by a very strong noble, and that made him an incredibly fierce adversary. He was responsible for a large portion of trade relating to alcohol and spirits, and any who encroached on his profit were subject to his violent meddling.

    He was the puppetmaster of the west, who orchestrated the economy around alcohol, of which was prevalent in Leiden. He was also rumoured to be behind the movements of the Peacekeepers in Leiden, which, even if remained nothing but a rumour, was a threat enough to most Nobles.

    It was no wonder to Artis that Orion chose not to mess with the merchant, Alain Monroe. It was too much of a danger to offend the Lord of Ried.

    "So, is this your brother''s way of trying to get revenge?" Artis spoke in a grave, almost threatening tone of voice. "If so, then why are you telling me? Is it to torment me? Do you think something like this will shake me? What is your goal, Callister?"

    "I don''t think Orion will win. I want to stop his foolish endeavours. I''m tired of him putting himself and others in danger." Pandora muttered. "I really don''t want him to die¡­ not before he smiles."

    ''Smiles? What is this fool talking about?'' Artis scowled.

    "So, once again, what is it you want from me?"

    "You love him, right? Don''t you want to protect Lumi¨¨re Croft? Did I make a mistake in coming to you?" Pandora muttered. "Neither I nor Orion have the support of our uncles, but he still maintains control of the treasury¡­ if I were to go behind him and pay someone to help me, he would definitely find out¡­"

    Artis''s gaze froze. Her breaths ceased, and her mind entered a turmoil. There was silence between them for several moments, and then Artis forced herself to speak out.

    "I''ll help you."

    "You really do love him." Pandora sighed relieved. "That''s perfect."

    She thought for another moment.

    "I don''t love Lumi¨¨re, not at all." Artis spoke sadly, touching her fingers against her lips. "No¡­ not him¡­ I''m just cursed to remember, that''s all."

    It was a harsh request. It was a tragic request. It was the entanglement of nobility along with the vast magical world. It was the lives of friends and brothers staked as bets within a foolish game. It was pointless fun. It was horrid fun.

    Why were humans so brazen?

    Why did his ''games'' involve lives?

 Chapter 60: Remembrances

    In the middle of the night, in the eerie quiet of the cathedral''s hospital ward, Lumi¨¨re arose from his bed. His hair was a mess, and his eyes were heavy with dark marks. The sheets of his bed had fallen to the floor, and the cold air nipped at his skin.

    His tired eyes widened. There was a putrid scent on the air. It was sickly, sweet. Almost as if fruit from the kitchen had grown rotten. Lumi¨¨re slowly got out of bed. His body still had a residual ache from the fight that had happened over a week ago. However, he ignored his weakness and cautiously snuck past his companions, the White Roses, who slept as still as rocks in their beds. A window was ajar, and a cold chill had crept into the room.

    Lumi¨¨re walked to the edge of the large room where they had been staying and quietly opened the door. As he entered the long ornate hall, the scent of blood thickened. It was like fire within his nostrils- a harshness threatening to burn away his skin. His hair, untied, swayed as he waltzed with fervor through the halls of the cathedral. As it was the dead of night, no nuns or priests walked about. However, if they were to have seen the man in ragged clothes waltz through the dark halls with such a messy, terrifying aesthetic, they would surely have cried out. A specter was out of place within a cathedral.

    A door lied at the edge of the hall- among many such doors, with ornate carvings of myths and legends; they were tributes to religious accolades and tales that had been told to Lumi¨¨re countless times by the elder Father Benedict- Ainsworth''s father, a man who had taken Lumi¨¨re in when he had no home to return to. Lumi¨¨re swung open the door, clutching at the firearm tucked at his side.

    He expected carnage- another plot of the Nameless, perhaps. However, what he found was the trailing of blood droplets that spilled across a room. At the corner of the room where a wooden bed sat, Ainsworth Benedict was leaned up against its side, clutching at his arm while staring blankly at the wall. His blade, which had grown dull and weathered, was covered in blood; His arms, which were usually plain and pale, were littered in crimson, lines like tally marks along his flesh.

    As Lumi¨¨re glanced further upon the sight, he realised that it was not just his arms. Ainsworth had removed his shirt to reveal that every inch of his torso had been littered in the marks- tallies that counted endlessly, until there was nothing more to count, or until there was no room left to do so.

    "Why?" Lumi¨¨re asked simply, releasing his grip on the gun. His face was filled with worry, despite him trying to keep a calm demeanor.

    "I feel like I must, but also because I want to¡­" Ainsworth replied blankly, his voice trailing off. "¡­I feel like I have to count- to keep track of all the people¡­"

    "What people?"

    Ainsworth pointed towards a set of marks. "Meraline Avelis."

    "The people that died? Do you count them all?"

    Ainsworth nodded slightly. "I remember all of their names. Every single comrade, innocents who died to mysterious means I could not solve- every person I''ve been unable to save¡­ I remember them all."

    Lumi¨¨re, who was slightly shaken despite his recent endeavours, sat down on the floor beside Ainsworth.

    "Is this what you''ve chosen to do to honour them?"

    "Do you think it''s strange that I would mutilate myself in the process of doing so? Do you think it is a product of my grief? I assure you it''s not. I''m not a crazy man, not a lunatic who should be locked up. This is just my way of remembering. How could I forget them when I see their remembrances every day?"

    "You don''t seem ambivalent about it. Why would I judge you for your choices?"

    He grasped hold of the wounds on Ainsworth''s skin tightly, tearing a portion of his robes to bind his flesh back together. He was a poorly held-together man. It was fitting.

    "Centuries ago, the tribes who settled in the sand dunes of Baruunlan would decorate themselves with scars. It was a testament to their survival- losing blood meant losing water, the very source of their lives." Lumi¨¨re spoke softly. ''To deprive oneself of life- to gamble survival- to them, it was like spitting in the cruel face of fate."

    "In recent days, I''ve begun to understand your hatred for how the world turns. I see how sunlight lacks, and cruelty is abundant." Ainsworth''s lip trembled. "I can see that now¡­ why must people die? Why can''t I do anything about it?"

    On the floor in the dimly lit room, Lumi¨¨re embraced Father Benedict- his childhood friend, Ainsworth. His hands and clothes became covered in blood, but he didn''t care. In his friend''s warmth, Ainsworth''s mask finally began to crack. Gradually, that persona of the stand-up priest began to vanish. All of the expectations he carried; all of the weight and sorrow, worry and anguish began to seep out. In Lumi¨¨re''s embrace, Ainsworth began to cry. Long, uninterrupted bawls filled the quiet air. He surely woke many people within the cathedral. He surely didn''t care.

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    "Don''t sinners deserve punishment?" Father Benedict cried ruefully.

    "Where has your rationality gone? Have you abandoned it because you received power? Who said you needed a punishment?" Lumi¨¨re''s expression tensed slightly.

    "Why talk poetically now?"

    "Don''t you like when people talk poetically? Aren''t you secretly a romantic, despite your position?"

    "Don''t joke. It''s not a time for jokes."

    "It''s always a time for jokes. If you''re not smiling, then it''s definitely such a time."

    With bloodied hands, Lumi¨¨re placed his fingers on Ainsworth''s cheeks, curling up his lips into a forced smile.

    "I miss her, Ainsworth. I grieve her every day. If I were to arrive to the monastery sooner, perhaps I could have saved her. Does this make it my fault?" Lumi¨¨re smiled pitifully. "I know it doesn''t- deep down. It''s the same for you, isn''t it? You know it isn''t your fault, but still you choose to carry it with you."

    "Elise?" Ainsworth mumbled in response.

    Lumi¨¨re nodded. "Yes. So, I understand. You''re not alone in this feeling. I have also grieved and despaired. It grew to the point where I thought I had to change completely to avoid breaking apart- it still feels that way."

    ''How couldn''t I? Killing that man was the moment that I had to change, to avoid such grief. I had never killed anyone prior to that- I wasn''t a soldier. I had seen the world''s cruelty, but not its violence- not like that.''

    "It was so sudden, that the only way I could deal with it was to not be Lumi¨¨re so much anymore."

    ''Really, in a way, all this acting in a way unlike me has been to put a barrier between me and my grief, isn''t it?'' Lumi¨¨re ruminated. ''It''s simple to make someone smile, but curing your own sadness is a harsher challenge.''

    "So then, if you weren''t Lumi¨¨re, who did you try to be?" Ainsworth asked, his gaze turning to stare at the ornate glass window above them that incessantly spilled moonlight into the room.

    "Someone better."

    Ainsworth smiled slightly. "It''s been the same for me. Climbing the ranks of Heaven''s Roses¡­ it''s been all of my heart to change my ways¡­ to be better, to save the lives of more people¡­"

    "Do you think this is a way you can honour Elise''s memory?"

    Ainsworth nodded. "Maybe if I continue to save more people, I''ll forget that she''s gone. It''s been really hard, trying not to forget her, but wanting to."

    "It''s hard to forget a piece of yourself."

    There was silence between them. It was as if they had not said all that they wanted to say, but couldn''t bring themselves to speak out.

    "Isn''t it strange? We''ve known each other all of our lives, but there''s this inherent wall between us." Father Benedict chided painfully.

    "She was the bridge between us, wasn''t she?"

    Ainsworth reached into the pocket of his jacket that lay beside him and pulled out a small paper carton. He opened the carton and produced a cigarette before placing it between his lips, Lumi¨¨re looking at him strangely in the meanwhile.

    As Ainsworth lit the cigarette, Lumi¨¨re spoke. "Smoking in the Goddess''s sacred monument, aren''t you a bit out of your depth, Father?"

    Ainsworth raised the carton towards Lumi¨¨re. "Don''t call me Father when I''m sinning, and don''t pretend you''re a Saint."

    Lumi¨¨re hesitated before reaching towards the carton and procuring a cigarette, placing it between his lips. It wasn''t often he smoked. The air within the lower borough was already of subpar quality. He didn''t imagine there was any reason for him to make it worse. However, they were residing in the middle borough during their stay at the hospital, and that surely changed things.

    "You''ve been acting strange lately- that makes sense now. But then again, I¡­" Ainsworth began to speak. "I still think she''s there, sometimes. Her presence has become habit."

    Lumi¨¨re was silent for a moment, before responding in a hushed tone.

    "Yes, I have been strange since Elise was killed, haven''t I?" Lumi¨¨re lips curled up slightly into a smile. "I think of her often¡­ often enough that it makes it hard to be anything but sad."

    "So why are you still going? When you take a step forward, what drives you to do so?"

    "Are you having a hard time moving forward?"

    "I''m just asking." Ainsworth smiled pitifully.

    Lumi¨¨re tilted his head back against the stone wall, his blood-soaked hand drawing the cigarette back to his lips. "I can''t really forgive the world anymore. I can''t understand some people either. If they''re not sticking to the mold society has forged, then they''re impossible for me to fully comprehend. I wish I could say that the reason I want to move forward is to be a better person- to try and do good things via good means¡­ but it feels like I''m slipping farther and farther away from that ideal path."

    A puff of smoke escaped his lips. He let out a slight cough, but he wasn''t sure if it was the chill of the air or the sting of the smoke that brought it about. It was painfully grounding.

    "So, what is that path that you want to move towards?"

    "Somewhere between here and then, I want to grow stronger." Lumi¨¨re replied with a coy smile.

    "You sound like a storybook character. Have you chosen to live in fantasy now?"

    Lumi¨¨re ignored his remark and continued. "Then, after the fact, I want to perform on the grand stage."

    "A grand stage?"

    "Not in that sense. I mean that stage where those who pull the strings stand- like marionettists who cause the world to move."

    "It''s a tall order- a far journey to the end of that goal. How can you accomplish such a feat?"

    "That''s also what I hope to discover." Lumi¨¨re reached his hand towards the window in the distance, the moonlight peering through the space between his fingers. "A way to change¡­ is it even feasible for me? To turn violence into kindness, and hatred into acceptance- a world where no one goes hungry, and where¡­"

    Lumi¨¨re''s words were cut short, as if they hung at the edge of his throat. "¡­where a child grows up with his parents."

    Ainsworth didn''t respond immediately. For a moment, he stared at Lumi¨¨re silently, as if he was contemplating something. His hand which had once held a lit cigarette had extinguished it, and now tapped against the crimson-red stone beneath him.

    "That''s a fine goal."

    Lumi¨¨re''s eyes shimmered slightly, turning his head towards Ainsworth. "Do you think so?"

    "I do. Even if it''s a bit unrealistic, that''s how you''ve always been. Even then, you''ve always succeeded. You''re not someone who will let something go so easily." Ainsworth leaned back against the wall. "You''ll make sure that it happens somehow. I believe that much. I look forward to your world, Lumi¨¨re."

 Chapter 61: Conference, Competition

    In the capital of the Forger Empire, Lindgram, where many Nobles had gathered for the prior conference, Zelia Chatelain, the Three of Hearts, and her companion, the Five of Hearts named Cartwell Heffen sat, conversing. While the gathering of the Lesser Nobles had finished, there was still the matter of the High conference, where not only Lesser and Higher Nobles would gather. This consisted of the Lesser Nobles, as well as the Dukes, Marquess''s, Earls, Viscounts, and Barons of the various Higher Nobility Houses that were scattered throughout the Western Continent.

    Besides them, the appointed individuals of both the Senate and the Centurian Assembly would be present. The Centurian Assembly consisted of four-hundred individuals, and the Senate six-hundred. So, of these thousand elected government officials, they were also to be present in another capacity, as members of several associations that managed other aspects of government. This included members of the Trade Commission, which organised and oversaw the laws of trade under the guidance of the Centurian Assembly. The Censor Commission was also present, which conducted census projects on the citizens of the Empire. The Environmental Commission, which had lowly capacity, was responsible for making sure that technological evolution didn''t encroach too harshly on the environment. In majour capacity, the Judicial Caucus also made their appearance at the High conference, as a section of elected judges who oversaw matters of state law, and infractions of such.

    Of course, this was all to say that the High conference was a big endeavour. It was to such a degree that it was the only time of the year that the Emperor, Cassander Barron II, would make an appearance. Alongside him, his Twin Consuls, two politically-opposed figures hand-picked from the Emperor''s Senate would accompany him to the High conference.

    So, Zelia and Cartwell remained in the capital in order to attend.

    Zelia Chatelain was a widow, a woman who had lost her husband. This would often be a precarious situation for a woman. However, the Chatelain family was equivalent to the position of a Marquess. As they had pioneered the industry surrounding the artificial manufacturing and refinement of Iyasul Crystals, a strange self-reproducing mineral that would form on the shores of Sautoise, which were incredibly important in circuit manufacturing for electric-based machinery.

    In comparison, Cartwell Heffen was a commoner- of no status or renown. Officially, he was her attendant. Unofficially, he was her closest friend and confidant.

    Still, this meant it was both their right and duty to attend the High conference. Yet, despite it, they couldn''t bring themselves to be excited. They were still somewhat shaken from events that had occurred a week prior.

    "That One of Spades is too much of a wild card¡­" Zelia murmured. "One minute he will be docile, and the next he will be a terrifying entity¡­"

    She placed a hand against the side of her face, a headache assaulting her once-calm mood.

    "It''s hard to tell whether he''ll be ''Mr. Ophelia'' or ''Lumi¨¨re Croft'' at any point in time¡­" Zelia sighed. "What if we address him wrong? Will he take offense and kill us? What a situation we''ve ended up in¡­"

    "There''s a hard connection between us and Mr. Ophelia through the seal of the contract."

    Cartwell lifted up his arm, of which the sleeves had been rolled up, to reveal the bright emerald runes that swirled wildly on his skin.

    "He may have some method of listening to us, and is hearing what we''re saying right now. If you''ve become aware of this, then watch your words carefully." Cartwell warned, eyeing the edge of the blade he kept at his side. It had grown warped in recent times, and sharpening it was a necessity to ensure his and his mistress''s safety at the High conference. Such was an occasion for plots. Not all Nobles agreed with each other, after all.

    "Still¡­ don''t you think Lumi¨¨re Croft is kind of adorable? He''s like a small animal- helpless and lost, isn''t he?" Zelia laughed slightly. "Of course, that''s when that acting of his fails- you can really tell that behind that crazed persona, he''s like a cute little puppy."

    "Do you think that he would take offense to that if he were to hear it? You probably shouldn''t say such things aloud. After all, at the heart of the One of Spades, he''s a heretic. Acting or not, he''s prone to perform crazy actions brazenly. You could find yourself in danger if you anger him suddenly." Cartwell responded calmly while tying the laces on his boots. "Lumi¨¨re Croft is no demon, but he may be a monster."

    "Technically, isn''t he the host of a demon, if not a demon himself?" Zelia smiled. "Perhaps your way of thinking is flawed."

    "Whatever the case may be, I wouldn''t call Mr. Ophelia a monster. He was kind enough to allow us to keep our lives, after all. You would do well to remember that." Cartwell spoke calmly. "It likely won''t be the last time we see him, so we shouldn''t fall into the habit of speaking ill of him."

    Zelia leaned on her hand as she ruminated the thought.

    "Still, crazy or not, wouldn''t it be better for us to try and befriend that One of Spades? If we are the friends of the Host, then perhaps Mr. Ophelia would treat us kinder in return." Zelia nodded her head. "Isn''t ensuring our safety the foremost problem?"

    "Our foremost problem is the High conference, so stop getting lost in thought." As Cartwell sheathed his blade, he threw a package filled with thin paper over to Zelia. "The Courier delivered the dress from the Tailor''s, so put it on quickly. We''ve places to be."

    "Right, right." Zelia sighed. Her gaze fell over towards the window, where the sun had begun to set.

    ''Really, why is that Lumi¨¨re Croft genuinely enthralling of a figure, despite being so terrifying?''

    ---

    Back in Leiden, where rain had overtaken the sky and the ground, Juno, the Four of Hearts slipped a brimmed hat onto his head while walking through the busy streets. Of course, it could be said that despite recent events, a businessman was still keen on doing business. Unlike Zelia Chatelain and Cartwell Heffen, Juno didn''t view falling under the Demon of the Garden''s control as anything overtly terrifying. In fact, as a man who loved to glean new experiences from every facet of his life, cooperating with Ophelia was somewhat exciting to him.

    Of course, this was all contingent on the fact that Juno remained safe under Ophelia''s contract. This wasn''t one of the promises offered to him when accepting the contract. It was only merely implied, and therefore meant that at any time he could become victim to the ploys of the Demon. However, the implication was enough for someone like Juno, who sought the thrills of knowledge and gain.

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    ''I was being a bit too casual in the beginning.'' Juno ruminated as he walked. Smog filled the air, pouring out from the factories in the distance. ''At the time I sold Lumi¨¨re Croft that weapon, it was certainly Lumi¨¨re. However, it may have been that the Demon of the Garden was already using him as a host at that time. I wonder if he took offense to my brazenness. I''ll have to be far more careful in the future¡­ however, I can''t dispel this urge to learn more. It''s such a fascinating situation I''ve found myself in."

    Juno took a turn into a dark alley, where nothing but broken glass and trash scattered about. In the lower borough, especially in Etten-Leur, this was a common sight. It was something Juno had grown used to. As a former soldier in the Great war, this was a beautiful sight in comparison to the sea of blood.

    He eventually reached a door guarded by a singular man. The man, despite his bulky countenance, had an anxious expression upon his face once he saw Juno standing before him. Immediately and without hesitance, the large man opened the door for Juno, allowing him to step inside.

    In the room illuminated by dim lamplight, two men sat at a round wooden table. Juno immediately recognised the man closest to him as Alain Monroe, a merchant he had come to know well during his time in the war. It wasn''t a surprise to him that Alain was there. It was him who had invited Juno personally. After all, Juno was an alchemist, and in the mercantile sector, an ironclad deal was quiet valuable.

    At the other end of the table, leaning back casually in his seat while surrounded by several bodyguards, a skinny yet menacing figure glanced up at Juno. He had short curly black hair and a bushy beard, almost messy in aesthetic. He wore a flat cap and his hands hovered over his lips, fiddling with the cigarette in his mouth that filled the air with the vapid scent of smoke; he was a strange and terrifying figure.

    "Massimo Leonetti?" Juno questioned, removing his hat as his lips curled up into his characteristic grin. "What kind of business does the Leader of Black Rats want with us?"

    "War''s craziest merchant¡­" The figure at the end of the table''s eyes widened, smiling as he leaned forward in his seat. "Monroe, you didn''t say you knew someone like this. Do you know how much this man''s name is worth? How did you even get him here?"

    Alain Monroe grinned. "We were all soldiers, Leonetti. Some of us just came out of the war with more than others did. For me, it was the connections I gathered."

    "If you''re keen on lowering me to a simple ''connection'', then maybe I should bring in some of mine." Juno spoke casually, as if it were a veiled threat.

    "Strength can be bought out with money. What''s to stop me from buying out your mercenaries?"

    Juno let out a slight chuckle.

    "Do you think you have enough money to do so?"

    Massimo Leonetti''s gaze flushed as he stared up at Juno''s genial smile. It was a key element that he had forgotten. When it came to Merchants who served the Wall, Juno was the only one who had broken through it. He was the sole trusted figure between the Four Lords of Leiden''s wall. As the craziest Merchant who served in the greatest war, the knowledge of his true name was more than any wealthy man could afford. He was a target for merchants, and an ally for nobles.

    "What name do you go by these days?" Leonetti asked.

    "Juno. You can call me Juno." He replied.

    Juno pulled up a chair from an adjoined table, sitting off to the side, speaking as he did so.

    "Well, one thing I''ve learned is that not all people can be bought out."

    "What do you base that on?" Massimo asked.

    Juno glanced over towards Alain Monroe. "Do you think he had enough money to purchase my services?"

    Massimo Leonetti''s eyes flickered before smiling. "No, you''re quite right. Dealing with you is a scenario filled with many oversights, it seems."

    "Enough chatter." Alain groaned. "Get to why you called us here."

    Juno nodded in agreement. "Yes, I would like to know so as well. There are very few things that would make it worth bringing me in, in comparison to any other half-assed alchemist. Anyone else could forge a binding contract, so there must be reason why Monroe thought it important to bring me here."

    "Didn''t you hear?" Massimo Leonetti spoke coldly. "The Blackfeather Group has recently received sponsorship from the head of the Mechanicus Die Firma. The support of that genius old noble¡­ he''s trying to lead the Blackfeather to a secure, legal path. He understands well the control that Constantine Adler has been able to establish here. If the Blackfeather Group suddenly becomes a legal authority, we won''t have any foothold to stand on."

    "So what do you plan to do about it?" Alain Monroe''s eyebrows furrowed.

    "I''ll destroy them." Massimo smiled, raising his hands to emphasise his point casually. "Of course, my plan will take a while to prepare for."

    "In the meanwhile, you''ve something to propose, yes?" Juno reached into his jacket pocket, procuring a carton of cigarettes, of which he brought out one to alight against his lips.

    "You''ve been sponsored by the Lord of Ried recently, haven''t you, Monroe?" Massimo turned his attention towards Alain.

    "You''ve heard?"

    "Who hasn''t?" Juno chuckled. "The whole industry seems upset at Callis Alisander''s death. Who wouldn''t show interest in learning about the uprising of his rival, a lowly merchant from the belt? Of course, it stands obvious that one would learn of his sponsor straight away. Not even the cold-hearted Lord of Ried would deny involvement in such a situation."

    ''However, the reason I learned of such a development was because of my investigation into Lumi¨¨re Croft. It seems that Alain Monroe has dodged a bullet. That crazy nobleman has taken interest in the One of Spades. I''m sure it''s nothing worrisome. I almost feel bad for that fool, Callister.'' Juno chuckled inwardly. ''He has no idea of the Demon he''s chosen to deal with.''

    On the topic, Massimo continued. "Right, it''s something most everyone has come to know. Now that the Mechanicus Die Firma is sponsoring the Blackfeather Group, the balance of our Black Rats''s industry will falter in the lower borough. This is where I hope you two will come in."

    Juno''s eyebrows raised slightly, amused. "You want the both of us to act as sponsors for Black Rats?"

    Contrary to Juno''s expression, Alain Monroe looked almost annoyed.

    "You''re aware of my associations, aren''t you? After all, even a half-rate gang leader wouldn''t dare to enter this room without looking into me first." Alain grumbled. Upon hearing his words, the bodyguards that stood behind Massimo pulled out their firearms and pointed them at Alain and Juno, whose expressions remained unchanged.

    Massimo''s eyes widened, and he frantically stood up from his seat and forcefully lowered his guard''s weapons. "Fools! Do you know who you''re pointing those toys at? You served at the same time as them, so you should know who you''re standing in a room with right now. Do you really want to die that badly? I would rather you kill yourselves right now than offend these men and take me along with you!"

    As the guard''s expressions grew weary, Massimo''s gaze turned back towards Alain and Juno.

    "Sorry, my men were a little hasty in their actions. Please forgive them on my behalf."

    "It''s no matter, Massimo." Juno smiled. "However, what Monroe said stands true on my part as well. I have ties with the Blackfeather group, which I have no plans on cutting loose anytime soon. Forgetting loyalty, legality breeds profit. Joining with you is paltry return in comparison."

    ''Of course, my intention is to avoid offending Mr. Ophelia. After learning that Constantine Adler had long-since befriended Lumi¨¨re Croft, this became a worry for me. Money is no matter in this situation, just my own safety.''

    "So, there was really no hope in inviting you here?" Massimo sighed.

    "Well, that''s not necessarily true, my friend." Juno spoke calmly. "I cannot condone the destruction of the Blackfeather Group, but that does not dissuade competition."

    Massimo laughed wryly, almost annoyed. "How can I compete with a legal entity? Don''t you know how many avenues are opened up once you can reach a general audience?"

    "So become a legal operation yourself." Monroe grumbled, lighting a cigarette of his own. "What''s the big deal?"

    "Precisely." Juno chuckled before reaching into his jacket pocket. He threw a stack of twenty-five denomination Len notes onto the table.

    "So?" Massimo grinned.

    "So, start."

 Chapter 62: Make a choice, move forward

    In the cold night of the hospital, Lumi¨¨re shifted slightly in his bed. Then a bit more, until he was tossing and turning in his sleep. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and his eyes furrowed tight and began to twitch; he let out deep, distressed whimpers.

    "Move forward."

    "Move forward."

    "Move forward."

    The countless voices in his nightmares overlapped each other, echoing endlessly as Lumi¨¨re clutched at his head within the infinite darkness.

    "Don''t you feel like a fool? You said you wanted change, but what progress have you made? Where are you now? What have you gained, besides scars?" It was a familiar, chiding voice. It was childish, reckless, impatient, crazy. It was Lain. He appeared in front of Lumi¨¨re like a specter. His silhouette faded in and out as if it were permeable, and his eyes were like red dots within the darkness.

    Lain knelt down in front of Lumi¨¨re. "So, fool, will you stay sitting down?"

    Lumi¨¨re didn''t reply. He bit at his lip, his eyes gazing down at the ground.

    "Fool, fool. Why do you keep saying this? He isn''t a fool, he''s a coward." The voice that continued on was also familiar. His silhouette morphed constantly into descending feathers- like the remnants of crows, glowing eyes as black as night. It was darkness, it was fear, it was Despair.

    Lumi¨¨re continued his silence. His gaze felt as if it would bulge out of his head. He begged endlessly within his mind that they would stop talking; he begged that the nightmares he had created in the waking world for his own gain would stop pursuing him in his constant unconscious suffering.

    "Don''t forget, we''ve already built the foundation." The figure that spoke next sounded exactly like Lumi¨¨re, but even he could tell who it represented. It was one who orchestrated fate.

    When Lumi¨¨re glanced up, he saw that the silhouette of that Demon of the Garden bore a long fluttering cloak. His eyes were a terrifying violet hue, reminding Lumi¨¨re of the three planet-sized eyes of Mr. Sand. "Do you fear failure?"

    For the first time, Lumi¨¨re spoke. "No."

    "Can you accept that the phantoms act without facing defiance?"

    "No."

    "They do as they did to Elise unto others. Is this something you''ll leave be?"

    In unison, the three figures knelt down next to Lumi¨¨re, staring at him with deep, maddening gazes. Ophelia grasped at Lumi¨¨re''s hair, pulling him in close as he spoke.

    "It seems you need a reminder. Don''t you ever forget what they did to you. Don''t forget how they changed you. Don''t forget what they took from you. You had a heart until they pried it from your chest. You had hope until they carved it away. You had a family until they took her from you."

    "Don''t forget." Lain cursed.

    "Don''t ever forget."

    "Kill them."

    "Kill them all."

    "The residents of the Garden await your call." Ophelia smiled. "Awaken the Garden."

    The last sentence repeated in the distance as the figures dissipated. In the darkness, Lumi¨¨re remained, bound by the red strings that stretched into the distance. Lumi¨¨re''s eyes remained shut. In the darkness, he felt the connection between him and the three he had previously formed a contract with as Ophelia. They were the strings bound to him- they were the strings that bound him.

    ''In the darkness¡­ can''t you see it? In this state, these connections that you''ve made¡­ they''re omnipresent.''

    As soon as Lumi¨¨re opened his eyes once more, he saw that red strings had appeared in the air, stretching endlessly in the darkness. However, no matter which direction he looked to where each string resided, their origin remained the same.

    The red strings were tied to him, digging into his flesh painfully, grounding him to the cold floor of the abyss. They weren''t just shackles. Lumi¨¨re realised that fact quickly. When he touched upon the strands with his hand, he heard booming echoes in the distance, as if eruptions had occurred far away. Seconds passed, and then minutes, without any change in the atmosphere. Then, as he was about to rest his eyes once more and try to awaken, he heard a voice.

    ''Mr. Ophelia, is that you?''

    As he touched upon the string that was branded to the runes on the Four of Hearts, Juno, he could feel the connection between them open up. Then, using an illusionary whisper, he spoke aloud.

    "House of Cards."

    ¡ª

    As Juno left the alleyway where he had met the leader of the Black Rats gang, Massimo Leonetti, he reached to place his hat back on his head. However, his grip faltered, and the hat dropped to the muddy floor below. His gaze shook, and his mouth grew agape. He heard the murmurs of a familiar voice.

    "House of Cards."

    He felt as if an endless darkness had enveloped him. It plunged him into a state of fear, reminding him of the commission they had undertaken to defeat the previous Five of Hearts, Johan Basque. He realised instantly that the Demon of the Garden, Ophelia had spoken to him by some sort of means.

    ''The House of Cards? Is this a call from Mr. Ophelia?'' Juno''s lips curled up into a grin. ''I thought that the deal with Black Rats would be the most interesting thing happening today¡­''

    Juno reached down towards the ground, picking up his hat and quickly shook the dirt off before continuing into the street to track down the House of Cards.

    ¡ª

    Back in the Cathedral''s hospital, Lumi¨¨re awoke in his bed. He had just finished alerting the other contractees he had formed an agreement with. He took a moment to sit at the edge of his bed in silence. In the darkness, his eyes shook violently.

    Before long, he stood up from his seat, pulling his common outfit over his night clothes before donning his classic midnight-black coat. Then, he stepped past the other members of the White Roses who slept soundly, not caring for the noise he made doing so. At the edge of the room, he stood hovering over the bed of a boy who similarly tossed about in his sleep.

    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    "Wake up." Lumi¨¨re spoke coldly, pulling Nicole Auirore up by his collar. The boy awoke immediately, his expression overtaken instantly by fear, his voice caught in his throat, leaving him unable to scream. All he saw within the darkness was the dark gaze of a Demon.

    "Mr. Demon¡­" Nicole whispered in a strangled tone of voice, still half-asleep. "Is something wrong? Have I done something wrong?"

    Lumi¨¨re let go of Nicole''s collar, and the boy fell back onto his bed.

    "We''re going somewhere, little mage." His voice was smooth, deep, and devoid of any semblance of emotion. It was odd to Nicole, who could see the parallel in his eyes. It was rage.

    Another response hung at the edge of Nicole''s lips, an insatiable urge to ask ''Where to?'', only to calm the anxiety he felt in his heart. He knew better than to ask that question, so silence was the outcome of his fear.

    ''Why is Mr. Demon acting like this suddenly?''

    As soon as Nicole had dressed himself, his hair still a mess, the two adjourned from the Cathedral uninhibited. In the silence of the night, they were free to leave.

    As the sun began to rise in the distance, a familiar mist enveloped the streets of the middle borough. Rather than turning onto Orulinde Street, Lumi¨¨re sought the darkness of an alleyway, Nicole trailing anxiously behind him. As he had expected, in the breadth of the mist, a door sat at the end of the alleyway. Amidst trash and debris, an ornate staircase led up to a large wooden door.

    In front of the wooden door, Lumi¨¨re saw a familiar towering figure. As he approached the attendant in front of the door, he pulled a rectangular object out of his jacket. It was the One of Spades card that glowed with a dark malfeasance. Showing it to the attendant, Osiris, he nodded as if to permit his entry.

    ''The House of Cards appears where it is most convenient to an attendee. It''s a traveling space. How kind of the host.'' Lumi¨¨re''s expression remained unchanged as he ruminated.

    "I have a guest. Will that be a problem, Mr. Osiris?" His tone was cold.

    "Young master, you know well that only those who carry one of the cards with them are allowed entry into the House."

    Lumi¨¨re stared at Osiris with a maddening gaze. "I ''know'' of such a thing?"

    Lumi¨¨re glanced downwards, a grin spreading up his expression.

    ''Of course. A card is required. How could one gain entry otherwise? How could I have been so stupid. Of course.''

    "Mr. Osiris, what suit is equivalent to the Domain of a Black Mage?"

    "That would be the Club suit, young master."

    Lumi¨¨re turned towards Nicole. "Wait one moment. I''ll be back out to get you."

    Nicole reached his hand out as if to protest, but no words could exit his mouth. His anxiety was the enemy of his attempts to avoid it altogether.

    As Lumi¨¨re entered the House of Cards, he slicked back his messy hair that had collected moisture under the morning mist.

    "Is the One of Clubs currently present!?" Lumi¨¨re shouted into the hall where many had gathered, talking genially or playing games at the many tables scattered about. However, sensing such an interruption, many gazes fell upon Lumi¨¨re, some confused, and some full of maliciousness.

    There was a moment of hesitance. The crowd gradually gathered around Lumi¨¨re as if he was an enemy. As Lumi¨¨re glanced towards the end of the hall, he saw the familiar face of the host, the Joker, who was capable of rendering his servants to red mist in an instant. Still, that was no longer Lumi¨¨re''s perception of the Joker. In reality, the host of the House of Cards had become someone Lumi¨¨re could trust to act in his own interests. After all, anything Lumi¨¨re tried to do carried the aspect of an entertaining ''performance''.

    Entertainment, at the heart of it, was something Lumi¨¨re knew could move the Joker to act.

    Before long, a figure stepped out from the crowd. He had straight black hair tied behind his head, and he wore a commoners garb that was reminiscent of the citizens of the Lower Borough. However, there was no sense of illness or poverty about him, just a malfeasant aura that made Lumi¨¨re subject to want to vomit. He could see the shimmering of the shadow underneath the man.

    "The One of Clubs?" Lumi¨¨re asked.

    The man nodded in response.

    "I would formally challenge you to a duel."

    In the distance, the Joker''s amiable expression widened into a grin. "A duel? Are you a fool, little dove? Don''t you know that a club isn''t equivalent to a spade? To mix domains of magic, are you some pioneer of suicide methods?"

    Lumi¨¨re, as well as the crowd turned their gazes towards the Joker.

    "Will you sanction the duel or not?"

    "There''s no purpose to it." The Joker replied, smiling.

    Still, Lumi¨¨re repeated his question. "Will you sanction the duel?"

    There was silence from the Joker for a moment, before he let out a pleased laugh.

    "You really are an interesting person, One of Spades!" He raised his hand towards the two figures in the center of the room, enveloping them in a large transparent barrier that blocked the senses of the room around them. It was a barrier- an ambit. Poe''s Gnosis had mentioned it once before, a strange connection to the world that powerful figures could sense and manipulate, transforming the area around them. "However, there''s really nothing for either of you to gain from this. Besides the exchange of cards, I''ll add something on top of it for the both of you. After all, this is quite entertaining to me."

    The Joker seemed to lose himself in thought before speaking once more. "Alright, I''ve thought of something quite entertaining. The winner of this bout will be entitled to one wish, granted by me, as long as it remains in my power to do so."

    There was an eruption of murmurs about the House of Cards. Genial conversations had turned to whispering rumours, and the games that had been occurring around the hall were ceased in favour of watching the scene between them. Soon, all the figures in the House of Cards had gathered.

    "That''s not really something I care much about. Just get on with it." Lumi¨¨re replied.

    The man known as the One of Clubs looked at Lumi¨¨re curiously. He couldn''t for a moment understand why a Spades holder would want to duel with a non-conforming domain. After all, trying to enter a separate domain of magic was tantamount to suicide- one could only remain as they were. Ironically, chasing a separate identity, disregarding pretending, was death for an individual.

    "Start." The Joker spoke aloud.

    The One of Clubs instantly raised his hands. As if pulled by strings, the shadows underneath him began to twist and turn, lurching towards Lumi¨¨re.

    "Fancy." Lumi¨¨re spoke aloud. He reached into his coat and pulled his firearm from his holster, aiming it down and pulling the trigger. Before the shadows had any opportunity to make contact, their manipulator had lots a portion of his head. Pools of blood and slimy greyish brain matter made their way to the floor, and as the attendants of the House of Cards watched with a mixture of horror and surprise, Lumi¨¨re stepped over towards the body. He reached into the jacket pocket of the deceased man and procured a rectangular object. It had the design of a man whose head had been replaced with the image of a black clover.

    ''How ironic.''

    Lumi¨¨re glanced up towards the Joker as he shook his boot, spraying blood across the carpet.

    "That was quite quick. Do you approach all matters with such urgency?"

    "Only when I have prior engagements."

    "How funny. Well, I suppose you remain the victor. It was fairly entertaining. So, what kind of wish does the little dove have?" The Joker smiled mischievously.

    Lumi¨¨re thought for a moment before replying. "A private room. Please keep one empty for me at all times."

    "That''s it? That''s all you would wish for?"

    "I can''t think of anything else right now, and I would prefer not to waste my time standing here." Lumi¨¨re replied simply.

    The Joker nodded, entertained. "That''s quite alright. You really are interesting, little dove. I can''t wait to see what kind of interesting scenes you will find yourself in in the future. Really, it seems like fun follows you about at all times."

    Without replying to the grand entity, Lumi¨¨re turned his back to walk back to the entrance of the House of Cards, the crowd watching as his cloak fluttered quietly behind him, too stunned to speak a single word.

    Then, as he stepped outside, Lumi¨¨re placed the card in Nicole''s hand without saying a word. After Osiris branded a mark onto Nicole''s hand, he was allowed entry into the House of Cards, still too anxious to speak aloud. At that time, the attendees of the hall had already returned to their own dealings. However, they remained weary of the black-cloaked figure that stepped softly through the House of Cards, making his way to the back of the room as a boy trailed fearfully behind him.

    In a private room in the back of the House of Cards, three familiar figures had gathered, both anxious and curious of the Demon of the Garden''s intentions. Then, to their surprise, he stepped through the door at the edge of the room. In the center of the private room, a long polished wooden table was surrounded by ornate chairs, of which each member in attendance took a seat. Leading Nicole to sit at the side facing the other three, Lumi¨¨re stood at the head of the table.

    A simple sentence echoed in his head. ''Awaken the garden. Awaken the garden. Awaken the garden.''

    As soon as the figures at the table had settled, Lumi¨¨re addressed them. He held his arms high in greeting, and a cold expression remained on his face.

    "Fables, welcome to the Mythos Garden."

 Chapter 63: Mythos Garden

    The attendants of the meeting''s expressions widened in surprise in unison.

    ''Fables? What is Mr. Ophelia talking about?'' Juno wondered.

    ''Mythos Garden? What does this name mean?''

    At the same time, the three also noticed the appearance of a new person. The boy sitting at the other side of the long table had dark lines under his eyes as if experiencing grand fatigue. His hair, which fell towards his ears in curls, was a stark raven black, and his eyes were like liquid silver swirling in his irises.

    ''Who is this boy?'' Zelia wondered. ''He''s cute, almost like a little puppy. I wondered how this stray dog wandered in¡­ I''ve never seen him present in the House of Cards¡­''

    ''That aura that permeates that boy¡­ has he really not learned to control it? From this, we can surmise he''s a black mage, but what is he doing here?'' Juno ruminated. ''If he came alongside Mr. Ophelia, then is he someone that the Demon of the Garden has taken under his wing? Or is he a close friend of the One of Spades, Lumi¨¨re Croft?''

    In the midst of the strangling silence, Cartwell was the first to speak in response.

    "Good morning, honourable Lord Ophelia." Cartwell spoke genially, his warm smile alighting the tense atmosphere. Hearing this, all became relieved. Nicole, who still had no clue as to what had been occurring, gradually felt himself relax as Cartwell spoke.

    "Good morning, everyone." Lumi¨¨re smiled himself, gesturing towards the members. "You must be wondering why I''ve gathered you here, but I assure you it will be fine."

    As he spoke, the pervasive voice of Ophelia''s personality in his mind began to repeat itself, a pang of pain ringing in his head.

    ''Awaken the garden. Awaken the garden. Awaken the garden.''

    Zelia suddenly raised her hand as if asking to speak. As Lumi¨¨re nodded towards her, she began her inquisitions.

    "Honourable Lord Ophelia, why is it that you''ve called us here? What do you mean by ''Fables'', and what is the ''Mythos Garden''? Is it in any way connected to your honorific name, the ''Demon of the Garden''?"

    Then, Juno spoke up. "And who is the boy you''ve brought alongside you?" Of course, Juno spoke without caution. He had carefully measured the lines he could tiptoe previously, after all.

    Visibly timid, Nicole bowed his head. "My name is Nicole. I''m not too sure why I''m here, but it''s nice to meet you all¡­"

    His voice was barely a whisper. If the room were much louder, he would have gone unheard. Seeing Nicole''s timid state, Zelia and Cartwell were quick to speak up.

    "It''s nice to meet you, Nicole." Cartwell smiled. "There''s no need to be afraid here. We''re all acquaintances who work towards a common goal. Although, we''re all not too sure why we''re here, either."

    Zelia nodded her head in agreement. "Why don''t we do introductions then, since there''s a new person in our midst?"

    "That''s a fine proposal. Do it if you must." Lumi¨¨re replied.

    One by one, the members began to introduce themselves to Nicole, calm and kind as if to soothe him. Gradually, his anxiety began to dissipate, and he smiled softly, although quite reserved. As soon as Lumi¨¨re noticed Nicole become relaxed, and as introductions had concluded, he spoke once more.

    "Now, as per your questions, it''s quite simple. The ''Mythos Garden'' is the name of the long-term operation I plan to continue the proposal from our last meeting. I left too abruptly to discuss it further, after all."

    It was something that had shocked Juno, Zelia, and Cartwell. Without any rhyme or reason, the Demon of the Garden had just stood up and left. Of course, they were not privy to question the whims of the demon, and so they had kept silent about it. However, this didn''t stop them from speculating. Moreover, his plans in combating the ''Phantom Syndicate'' that they had never heard of remained a mystery to them. As to what degree Mr. Ophelia wanted them to help was also unknown.

    "I want you four to help me destroy the Phantom Syndicate."

    Nicole''s eyes shuddered, his once-relaxed state giving way to turmoil. His gaze shot towards Lumi¨¨re, and he couldn''t help but exclaim.

    "Has this been your plan all along, Mr. Demon!?" Nicole''s eyes lit up. "Is this¡­ is this why you brought me here?"

    Juno looked over towards Nicole, same as Zelia and Cartwell. ''Why did this boy have such a sudden reaction towards the mention of this mysterious organisation? It seems there''s a specific reason Mr. Ophelia brought him here, but why?''

    Lumi¨¨re let out a sigh. "Yes, that''s primarily why I brought you here. Do you not want to do so?"

    ''My knowledge is limited. My funds are limited. My power is limited. The only thing I can do is lie. It''s all I''ve ever been able to do.'' Lumi¨¨re ruminated as he looked over the attendees. ''Still, I can''t accomplish this monumental task alone.''

    "No, I definitely want to do so." The turmoil in Nicole''s eyes quickly became a dull rage. This was the first time he had saw some semblance of hope in destroying the people who had ruined his life- the first time he had even thought it was possible to do so. For him, who had not even fully grown up, it was impossible. But under the lead of Mr. Demon, the one who had promised to protect him, then it might have been more than just a dream.

    A grin curled up Lumi¨¨re''s lips. "Then, I would like to propose a crossroads deal."

    ''The key to being a magician has always been misdirection.'' Lumi¨¨re chuckled internally. ''To them, I''ve tried to portray a terrifying figure. This was the result of trying to cover for having to use my ''Despair'' ability after falling to my Lain persona brought me to such a perilous situation. Unfortunately, this means trust is out of the option. Swaying them with fear will turn them against me at this point. They may seek out the help from the Joker as well. Although he seems amused enough to allow my charades to continue unimpeded, he may change his mind if it starts to tarnish the reputation of the House of Cards¡­''

    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ''However, these people are opportunistic¡­ Juno, the merchant, seeks monetary gain and connections to powerful people. Just associating with me is enough to convince him to stay around, but to risk his life for such a thing is a different matter. For Nicole, the idea of taking down the Phantom Syndicate is enough to convince him in theory, although in practice, his anxiety might get in his own way of performing well. As for Zelia and Cartwell, I don''t yet know them enough to know how to move him. This conversation will be important in learning how to convince them¡­''

    ''At the heart of the matter, what I''m currently capable of is not enough to sway ordinary, weak magic users to face such a powerful organisation. After all, the Phantom Syndicate is an organisation that raises children to become soldiers- a group led by powerful people that could rival the House of Cards. This much was told to me by Constantine. Then, if that''s the case, to cause these people to move in action, there must be great consequence.''

    As the four leaned forward in their seats, Lumi¨¨re continued with a calm smile.

    "The deal will remain open-ended. Whatever you wish to stand as compensation can be decided now, or at a later date."

    Juno had to restrain himself, he who almost sprung from his seat in elation. His expression, which failed to remain calm, was enough to tell Lumi¨¨re that he had managed to lure in the merchant.

    ''An open-ended deal? This isn''t something someone would normally offer. After all, this isn''t just a simple exchange. If Mr. Ophelia keeps his word¡­ no, he surely will. A Demon always keeps his word when it comes to crossroads deals. That''s what makes them different from normal exchanges¡­'' Juno''s mind began to race, unable to keep a grin from curling up his lips. ''If this really is the case, then no one in their right mind would choose to request something of him in this moment. They would wait until his plan flourishes. If Mr. Ophelia really manages to topple this great Order, then the benefits he can grant would only increase. Waiting to request of him is really the only smart decision, and denying this deal is the stupidest one.''

    "I''ll graciously accept your offer, honourable Lord Ophelia." Juno replied quickly, yet calmly.

    "Do you not fear the danger?" Lumi¨¨re replied. "There are only two people in this room who know of the full weight of this deal, and more than I, that person knows it all too well¡­" Following Lumi¨¨re''s gaze, everyone''s eyes landed on Nicole once more.

    Timidly, sensing everyone''s eyes on him, Nicole spoke out. "It''s true¡­ it''s not something any of us can accomplish alone¡­ even the four of us alongside Mr. Demon¡­ it''s really too impossible¡­"

    Juno looked back towards Lumi¨¨re.

    "Then, honourable Lord Ophelia, is this why you called it a ''long-term mission''?" Juno came to a realisation. "Is it the case that you want us to perform more operations in order to grow stronger, with the main goal of defeating the Phantom Syndicate on the horizon?"

    "Precisely." Lumi¨¨re smiled. "You''ve got good deduction skills, Mr. Juno."

    "Thank you, honourable Lord Ophelia." Juno nodded his head. "Then, if that''s the case, I have no fear. We won''t be going unprepared, after all. I trust in your judgment."

    Then, as Nicole and Juno had agreed, Lumi¨¨re''s gaze fell upon the duo- Zelia Chatelain and Cartwell Heffen. Seeing that the Demon had looked towards him, Cartwell leaned forward in his seat.

    "Alet Robellia." Cartwell suddenly spoke aloud.

    Zelia''s eyes widened, and Lumi¨¨re turned to look at the man who suddenly spoke.

    "Alet Robellia?" Lumi¨¨re repeated inquisitively.

    "It''s a hospital in the Outer Stratum of Lindgram. It attends to ill children." Cartwell''s expression suddenly became nostalgic, almost gentle, as if he were reminiscing on happier memories. Of what could be happy about a hospital, Lumi¨¨re had become lost on it. "My sister resides there- her name is Thalia. Every week, she seems to grow even sicker. Seeing someone''s pain in every moment¡­ she''s so young. Can you imagine that? As an alchemist, I thought I would immediately gain the power to heal her, but even that ability alludes me¡­ I am not yet strong enough. As long as I''m alive, however, I can try each day to gain that power¡­"

    Cartwell cleared his throat slightly before speaking again. "It might seem like I''m harping on a pointless topic, but what I mean to say now is its purpose. If I am to die, I wish that you, or the One of Spades whose body you inhabit, will carry out my goal. This is all I wish for in exchange. Please save my little sister."

    There was silence for a moment. Alike to Zelia, Juno, and Nicole, Lumi¨¨re found it almost impossible to keep surprise from washing over his expression. Cartwell''s smile had always given off the aura of a gentleman who dealt with nothing too difficult in life, at least not as to let it on.

    "If you don''t die, this deal will gain you nothing." Juno interjected, shocked.

    "No. Sometimes assurance is everything, Mr. Juno." Cartwell''s warm smile curled up his lips once more. "Besides, there''s no guarantee that my initial plan will be successful. Perhaps there is no path to cure my sister''s ailment through the Domain of alchemy. In this regard, if it seems too lost a cause..."

    Cartwell glanced up at Lumi¨¨re.

    "...then I will kill myself, and let Mr. Ophelia fulfill my wish for me."

    There was silence in the room for a time. Not one person could believe what he had just said. The resolve that seemed to emanate from the figure was unbelievable.

    ''If I were to fight this man to the death¡­ even using Despair, would I win?'' Lumi¨¨re thought seriously. ''This determination¡­ can I really compare to him? The unsupposing Cartwell¡­ he may very well be the most dangerous person in this room.''

    "Are you satisfied with this much?"

    "I am."

    Lumi¨¨re nodded his head. "Then the deal is done. In exchange for your assistance, your wish will be fulfilled."

    ''This is perfect!'' Lumi¨¨re could barely contain his elation, his fanatic excitement begging to creep onto his expression. ''A deal that doesn''t demand immediate attention¡­ as long as I can keep Mr. Heffen alive, it''s technically a deal that doesn''t need to be paid out! This is the best case scenario¡­ and as for Zelia¡­''

    Lumi¨¨re looked over toward Zelia. Seeing her expression, he knew he had already won. The battle of the exchange had turned in his favour.

    "Well, if he''s agreed, then I don''t think I have much choice in the matter¡­" Zelia sighed. "I''ll agree to this request, honourable Lord Ophelia. I just hope it won''t bring too much danger."

    ''Where one goes, the other follows. The condition to succeeding was to hook one in, and by chance, I managed to do so. Of course, I didn''t expect that Cartwell Heffen would have such a monumental goal in front of him, but it''s no matter. Raising the strength of each member is a condition of my main plan, so it coincides perfectly.''

    "That''s the first wish, then. Will anyone else speak theirs aloud? Let it be known that your wish can also be spoken in private upon request."

    Lumi¨¨re looked towards Juno, but as expected of him, he did not speak aloud. Then he looked over towards Zelia, but she too had no wish to speak of- or rather, she did not want to.

    Just as Lumi¨¨re thought that the ordeal had concluded, a shakey, yet assured voice spoke up. "I wish that you''ll destroy them all. Every one of those Phantoms¡­" The voice cut off suddenly.

    Lumi¨¨re and the rest looked over to Nicole at the other side of the table. Upon mention of the name himself, he had begun to shake with anxiety once more.

    ''How terrifying were they in person, to leave Nicole like this?'' Lumi¨¨re wondered. ''It was too cruel to bring up his past in front of the White Roses, wasn''t it? I''ll just make up for it by helping him destroy them¡­''

    "There''s no need to waste your wish on such a thing." Zelia laughed suddenly, cutting through the tension. "This is the outcome of honourable Lord Ophelia''s plans. There''s no need for you to wish for that."

    "I just want it to be assured¡­" Nicole mumbled. "If it''s a deal, then shouldn''t I make sure of it?"

    ''This boy has very strong feelings towards this secret organisation¡­ I wonder what transpired in his past to make him feel such a way? Even the mention of ''Phantoms'' is enough to leave him trembling¡­'' Cartwell ruminated.

    "There''s no need to do so. It''s a promise between you and me that I will destroy them. All you need to do is follow along and help." Lumi¨¨re smiled warmly. "Can you do that, little mage?"

    Nicole nodded his head, assured. "Very well, Mr. Demon. If you''ve promised to do so, then I will follow you to the end."

    Lumi¨¨re let out a quieted sigh.

    "If this matter has concluded, then there''s only one matter that needs to be settled. As Fables, your legends that will eclipse the greatest secret organisation need to be spread. However, legends cannot be spread if they do not have a name to be called by."

    Lumi¨¨re raised his hand to gesture towards them.

    "So, I hope that today, you will choose codenames to operate by."

 Chapter 64: Codenames

    ''Codenames? What is the purpose of codenames if we''ve already given out our real names?'' Cartwell thought, humoured.

    ''Is Mr. Ophelia''s main goal not to destroy the Phantom Organisation?'' Cartwell''s eyes lit up. ''It didn''t really make sense to me, that a demon would do something so grand in exchange for a vessel. After all, they would only have to find some impoverished fool who fit well enough to themselves. It''s quiet rare to find a fitting vessel, but nothing that would demand such an exchange. Initially I believed it was just Mr. Ophelia''s eccentricity that caused this deal between him and One of Spades, but now it makes sense. His main goal isn''t actually to destroy the Phantom Organisation, but to use their fall as a way to rise up- to create a new Organisation to stand on top. This is the meaning of ''Mythos Garden''- the new legends of this era¡­''

    As Juno came to the same realisation, he wondered. ''But why? Why does Mr. Ophelia seek such infamy? Can I really conclude the motives of a Demon successfully? There''s some other goal he wants to accomplish¡­ I don''t believe simply being the most powerful organisation is his goal, otherwise he would call us an ''organisation''. Yet, he chose to say that this is another ''commission''. Why?''

    "Capulet." Nicole spoke quietly, almost incomprehensible.

    "Capulet?" Cartwell questioned.

    "That''s- that''s the name I want."

    "Like that children''s tale?" Zelia laughed. "The one about the two lovers?"

    "It does make sense. Doesn''t that author also write of a character named ''Ophelia''?" Juno nodded his head. "Very consistent. Shouldn''t we be so, as to craft a grand tale?"

    "Who is ''that author''?" Cartwell asked, curious. He gave off the feeling that he was a man of means, but Cartwell had come from one of the many mesial stratums of Lindgram, and so what books his family could afford were informational. Those who weren''t quite poor, yet not rich, couldn''t afford the luxury of fiction. Those who could, but weren''t quite as wealthy, would still opt for any sort of text that would further the growth of their children. If fictional tales were to be told, they would be told by mouth. This was how Nicole would come to know of those stories. They were passed down to him by Cornifer in the White Roses, who had grown up wealthy, and had read many such novels and playscripts.

    "He only ever signs his name with initials- W.S." Zelia shrugged. "I''ve heard he often appears in the circles of High Nobility, although I''ve never been able to meet him personally."

    ''Ms. Zelia is a High Noble? This is something I should look into. With such an uncommon name, it should be easy to find some record of her and learn her history. Doing so, I should be able to directly discover traces of Mr. Cartwell too. I was too busy in the past to do so, but as I''ll be collaborating with them, I should try and learn more about them.'' Juno lost himself in thought. ''However, this boy, Nicole¡­ he should be much harder to learn about. As someone that Mr. Ophelia seems to know much about, it might be too dangerous to poke around. I can''t risk offending Mr. Ophelia, after all.''

    "Then, why don''t we all use names from his books?" Zelia offered. "One grand tale, one Fable."

    Juno nodded his head. "It makes sense."

    As Lumi¨¨re watched over the processions, he couldn''t help but grin. It was going just as he had hoped it would. They seemed quite interested in the ordeal of forming a group for the sake of the Commission. After all, he couldn''t hope that they would simply abide by the deal. He wanted them to be invested into it. If they began to feel that the ''Mythos Garden'' was their own, they would give so much more for its sake.

    Like a King and his land, like a mother and her child, like a starving man and his food; he hoped that the Mythos Garden would become their beloved, their land, their child, their food. If they felt that it was at threat, then they would be inclined to fight. And if they were inclined to fight, then there was finally a possibility that Lumi¨¨re could accomplish his goals. There was the possibility that he could get his revenge- that he could tear those Phantoms down.

    "Then, who should I be? I know none of the characters involved in these novels¡­" Cartwell sighed.

    "You strike me as a Lysander." Juno smiled, humoured.

    Zelia and Nicole both laughed in unison, with Cartwell looking towards the both of them in confusion. "I don''t get it."

    "It''s in the way you devote yourself to a woman."

    Cartwell''s smile faded.

    "Shouldn''t I do this as your attendant?" Cartwell sighed. "Why should I be diminished for doing my job?"

    ''Her attendant? These people aren''t very good at withholding themselves. Is there really any need for me to investigate their backgrounds at this rate? Have they already begun to trust us? Aren''t they being a little too open? After all, we''ve only known each other for a few weeks. At the heart of it all, we''re still members of the House of Cards. Aren''t we known for being snakes- always looking for opportunity?'' Juno felt a little down. ''Would it be too morally-apprehensible to use this information? It was given up too care-freely.''

    "I wonder who I should play the role of, then." Zelia bit at her nail as she lost herself in thought. "Can I be absolution? If one of us falls, then I will seek retribution."

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    "And who would that be?"

    "Laertes." Zelia grinned. "I will be the vengeance that proceeds after death."

    "How will you manage that, Laertes?" Cartwell joked.

    Zelia let out an annoyed huff. "I''ll manage it."

    "Sounds likely. We better be sure not to fail." Juno replied. He and Cartwell laughed in unison, Zelia aggravated in the meanwhile. "Well, if this is really the way we''ve chosen to go, then I guess I have to pick one too."

    As everyone looked towards Juno, he let out a sigh. He truly couldn''t help but participate. "I''ll be Shylock, then."

    "The merchant?" Zelia smiled. "Of course, that suits you perfectly. Greedy, opportunistic."

    Juno''s eyebrow twitched, but he kept a genial smile about him. Lumi¨¨re looked warmly over the four of them, satisfied.

    "Capulet, Laertes, Lysander, and Shylock¡­" Lumi¨¨re smiled, reaching out his hand. "Welcome to our cooperative commission. I hope your fables will be spread wide and far."

    At this point, Lumi¨¨re had begun to portray a grander purpose. Of course, his main goal was to eliminate the Phantoms. However, he had to look past his petty revenge as well. After all, he knew that only hollowness followed revenge. It was the most classical tale. Therefore, he had also chosen to look towards his other primary goal- changing the inherent cruelty that seemed to follow all those that fate marked ''unfortunate''. Destroying the Phantom Syndicate was the goal that would satisfy his grief, and destroying cruelty would satisfy his desire.

    ''The most revered figures create the worldview everyone follows. If I create the revered figures, then I stand above it all.'' Lumi¨¨re laughed internally. ''I wonder what they think of me now. Do they realise that they''ve just become figureheads for my will? Look at this person I''ve become¡­ would I have thought like this a few months ago? At that time, I might have just cried my troubles away and blamed the Goddess¡­ but now I can stand at the starting line. Even if I''ve become a horrible, apprehensible figure, should I stop now?''

    ''No, of course I shouldn''t. The only thing I should do is move forward.'' Lumi¨¨re had come to that conclusion long ago. Even internally, the personas he had crafted had begun to push him forward. He had started on a path where there was no option of turning back. He had burnt the bridges between him and his past self.

    "Thank you, honourable Lord Ophelia." Cartwell spoke with a smile. In unison, the others thanked him as well.

    ''At first, I imagined that the danger that trying to dismantle the Phantom Syndicate posed would inhibit my plans to get them to accept the deal. However, it turned out to be quite easy. I knew that as an opportunist, Juno would be easy to manipulate. For Nicole, it was a given that he would jump at the chance to get his revenge. I knew Cartwell, who has a good heart, would be easy to manipulate into doing the ''right thing''¡­ although I didn''t expect him to jump at the chance himself. Zelia would have always followed him, I''ve gathered that much just from watching them¡­'' As Lumi¨¨re looked at the four, he smiled. ''So this Cartwell was always dealing with this much in his private life¡­''

    "We''ll meet twice a month, on the first and third Sunday of each month in order to discuss various matters and plan for the strengthening of our members." Lumi¨¨re said calmly. "In the meantime, I trust that you''ll further yourself for the sake of our goal."

    "If we have a need to contact you, how shall we do so?" Juno asked, unperturbed by the thought of offending the Demon of the Garden.

    Lumi¨¨re felt his heart sink instantly. ''Fuck, I didn''t think he would ask a question like that¡­ how couldn''t I have given this any thought? Of course the servants of a Demon would wish to contact him for assistance. Moreover, all that needs to be done to contact a Demon is to invoke their honorific name in the form of a prayer, the same as you would pray to a deity¡­ anyone would know that. This is him simply asking for my permission to do so. However, if I tell them to do that, they may do so, only to find that it will bring no response. Of course praying to me wouldn''t do anything. I''m not really a Demon, after all.''

    ''What can I do?''

    In an instant, Lumi¨¨re felt his mind enter a spiraling turmoil as he racked his brain for ideas. Suddenly, as he was thinking, a recollection came to him.

    ''I initially heard Juno''s voice when I was in a state of meditation in my nightmare. This means that while meditating, I can contact that connection that links us through the contract. Moreover, the innate personas I''ve cultivated can speak to me in waking reality. Doesn''t this mean that I can have a persona constantly listen for the prayers of these fools, and then have one of my personas relay the message to me?'' He had to desperately fight the wild grin that threatened to curl up his lips. ''Of course, this is just a gamble as to whether it will work or not¡­ but it''s the only option I can think of. I''ll just have to hope that it works.''

    His expression unperturbed, Lumi¨¨re nodded his head. "You can invoke my name at any time. Do you remember my honorific title?"

    With a smile, Juno clasped his hands together and closed his eyes. "You are the grandest illusion, the venerable lie. You are the dignified spring bloom, the immortal flower. You are also the precursor of Despair, the vessel of insanity; the preeminent shadow, an exalted orchestrator of Fate. I seek your guidance, Demon of the Garden, Ophelia."

    As if on cue, Lumi¨¨re''s head began to feel a little heavy, as if it had been weighed down by steel. Then, on cue, a calm, sultry voice began to speak. It sounded exactly like Lumi¨¨re, as if he were speaking in a convincing tone of voice.

    ''You are the grandest illusion, the venerable lie. You are the dignified spring bloom, the immortal flower. You are also the precursor of Despair, the vessel of insanity; the preeminent shadow, an exalted orchestrator of Fate. I seek your guidance, Demon of the Garden, Ophelia.''

    ''That really worked?'' Lumi¨¨re let out a relieved, quiet sigh. ''I thought I was doomed to fight them all here. I''ve survived to live another day¡­''

    He looked back towards Juno with a smile. "Precisely. If any of you have any need of assistance in the future, you can use this method to contact me. For small matters, due to our cooperation, I don''t mind helping you for free. However, for larger issues, as with any other Demon, a deal must be enacted. There will be a price to lift my hand."

    He looked at every other member as he said this.

    "Thank you, honourable Lord Ophelia." Cartwell smiled, nodding his head.

    Lumi¨¨re raised his hand. "There''s no need to refer to me as a ''Lord'' anymore. From this point forward, you''ll all be using your codenames to refer to each other during our assemblies. So, I would prefer you call me ''Ophelia''."

    As his eyes widened, Cartwell bent his head in shame. "Yes, sorry, Ophelia."

    "Good." Lumi¨¨re nodded his head in satisfaction.

    ''Well, it''s actually starting to get to me¡­ if you keep calling me a ''Lord'', I won''t be able to deal with that shame. Just acting as a powerful figure already makes me feel strange¡­'' Lumi¨¨re lamented humorously.

    "Then, all matters for today have been settled. If you want, you can use the remaining time to discuss among yourselves. I have nothing further to say to you, unless a question is asked of me." Lumi¨¨re continued, leaning his head on his hand as he relaxed in his seat.

    "Then, can we ask you more about the Phantom Syndicate?" Juno asked suddenly.

 Chapter 65: Gaze in the distance

    ''I anticipated a question like this¡­ now the question is as to what I should do in response¡­'' Lumi¨¨re, relaxed in his seat, tried to finalise a decision. ''If I hadn''t brought Nicole here, lying might have been a solution to his question. However, anything I say now might be called out as a bluff, or lead to Nicole''s faith in my identity as a Demon failing¡­ even more than that, giving out false information could be dangerous for the members of this operation, directly leading to its failure. Operating on a false basis is equivalent to suicide when it comes to such large matters¡­''

    ''Do I manipulate the situation with illusion? No, there''s no guarantee I can create such a large situation¡­ I can only really paint small images, much less the painting of an entirely different reality. Can I fake an urgent situation with illusory murmurs outside the room? No, this wouldn''t specifically apply to the people in this room. It would definitely alert the attendants of the House of Cards outside. It''s not necessarily good to create an actual situation to distract from this question. Then¡­''

    Lumi¨¨re crossed his hands casually and spoke. "Of course, I''ve said in the past that some matters will come, like most things, at a cost."

    ''It''s not like a Demon would be anything but greedy given the opportunity. This adheres to the persona I''ve created from the start. This is how I obtained the Three of Spades card after Juno abandoned its use. I was worried that this route of speech would confuse the other members, wondering why I''m not sharing pertinent information in regards to the operation. ''

    Juno lowered his head, ashamed. Of course, even the merchant of War could feel distraught.

    ''For larger matters, a deal must be enacted? Right, he said this previously¡­ does this mean that simple information about this secret organisation who employs Phantoms is equivalent to deals we''ve made previously, such as the exchange for the Three of Hearts? Considering that the Three of Hearts card was in exchange for hold over his life- the knowledge of his name, this means that the information regarding this Phantom Syndicate crosses the threshold separating ''mildly useless'' and ''pertinent'' information¡­''

    "However, this doesn''t prohibit you from seeking other avenues of information." Lumi¨¨re continued, a calm and casual look on his face. Another aspect of being a magician was the misdirection of the onlooker''s attention. Immediately, as led by the hand of the illusionist, everyone''s gaze fell towards Nicole. Sensing their eyes on him, he began to sweat and tremble slightly. Because Nicole had previously revealed his own connections to the Phantoms in his conversation with the Demon of the Garden, he was immediately recognised by the others as someone who had knowledge of the secretive organisation.

    ''This child might be easier to deal with than Mr. Ophelia¡­ well, perhaps the price will be smaller in comparison. Although, will Mr. Ophelia take offense to this? I still don''t know his relationship with the Demon¡­ he calls him ''Mr. Demon''¡­ was he not previously familiar with Mr. Ophelia''s true name? This could imply that he doesn''t know him very well, or Mr. Ophelia could have been concealing his name up to this point to preserve his own safety. But why tell us and not Nicole? Was it because Nicole did not pay a suitable price as we did? Once again, how could I so easily conclude a Demon''s motivations?'' Juno sighed quietly.

    "Nico- ah, Capulet¡­ you''re someone who knows about this ''Phantom Syndicate'', aren''t you?" As Juno spoke, he saw visible shivers settle on the skin of the boy sitting across the table. "Would you be privy to enlightening us as to who they are? The compensation I can provide would be well worth it, I assure you."

    Nicole shook his head, his face a little distraught. "No, Shylock. It''s not about compensation¡­ it''s just a lot of bad memories, I assure you." Before he continued, he had to clasp his hands together underneath the table, gazing downwards. In his mind, he repeated the same line over and over, a prayer to the Goddess of Thorns. ''Fine embrace of nature, we seek your light. Fine embrace of nature, we seek your light. Fine embrace of nature, we seek your light¡­ please, keep me away from this fear. I hate living alongside nightmares...''

    As Zelia and Cartwell began to look at Nicole with worried, sympathetic eyes, he spoke once more, his voice weary and hushed. "The price you have to pay for knowing of the Phantoms is intertwining your fate with the evil Deity they worship¡­ it''s not a matter of avoiding him. There is no avoiding him. It could be today, or it could be tomorrow. Maybe in a week from now, or even a year, he will learn of you, and he will find you. The more this being knows, the more powerful he becomes. In entangling yourself with him, you further empower him. Knowing this, do you still wish to know more?" With each sentence he spoke, as if recalling the most horrifying moments of his past, Nicole visibly shook. There was no hiding it.

    As Lumi¨¨re listened in, countless thoughts raced through his mind, not minding Nicole''s constantly-anxious state. After all, this was the first time he was learning more about the Phantom Syndicate since he had last talked with Constantine Adler.

    ''An evil God? So these Phantoms are like me- servants of a truly despicable being. To their God, knowledge equates to power¡­ but in what way does it empower him? Is it the actions he can execute knowing many things, or is it that he can influence what he knows? What a contradictory situation- to know more of the Phantoms is to be able to easier destroy them, but to know means to be known, which is to easier destroy ourselves¡­'' Lumi¨¨re lamented humorously in his head.

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    Lumi¨¨re spoke with a calm cadence. "If you wish to remain oblivious to the details of our enemies, you should leave now. I will not lie and say that it will be easy for you to keep up. However, lacking knowledge of the enemy will remain the safest option."

    Juno shook his head. "No, if we''re to keep our side of the crossroads deal, it''s imperative that we use every opportunity at our disposal."

    Zelia and Cartwell both nodded their heads in agreement, but his thoughts were different. ''Damn this merchant. By saying that, we can''t directly refuse Nicole''s offer¡­ it would make us look like we aren''t really committed to the agreement. Even when he stands to benefit, he can''t help but be sly and underhanded¡­ our only option is to put ourselves at risk now.''

    After looking over towards the other members and confirming their permission, Nicole began to speak.

    "Then¡­ I''ll tell you my story." Nicole still spoke in a quiet, nearly incomprehensible tone of voice. "It''s the only way I can bear to think about it¡­ to think of the things that happened, and to hate them in the meanwhile¡­"

    His voice trailed off, and he slouched backwards in his seat. He still wore his pajamas from the cathedral''s hospital ward, so he had sloppily buttoned up a white shirt and pulled a dark-grey longcoat over his shoulders before stepping out with Mr. Demon. Since he had been pulled away so suddenly, this was all he could do.

    "I can''t remember what face my mother had. Beautiful, perhaps. Maybe my father was an ugly man, and still a kind heart. How could I know? The sounds of their voices would be foreign to me if I were to hear them now. Did my mother speak sternly, my father calmly? If I saw them in the street they would be strangers. Would they remember me after all this time, were they to remain alive?" Nicole slowly reached his hand towards his head, fidgeting with a strand of his hair as he recalled his past. "I know it''s a common- a common enough story. Parents don''t usually live long enough to tell you they''re proud of you. At least in most instances, the memory of them is your inheritance, but they died will-less. I get nothing in return for longing for their presence."

    Lumi¨¨re smiled pitifully, hearing his words. It wasn''t an incorrect statement. Rarely did parents get to see their children grow up in the lower borough. A parents would die before their child matured, or their child would die of some strange cause. That was just the way of things.

    Nicole shrugged his shoulders. "It was a life, as far as I can remember. It wasn''t a good one, but it was a life. The ground was always wet, and so the skin on my feet would rot. My stomach would always feel the pain of hunger, and the mildew on the remains of food in the streets became less and less of a deterrent with each passing day¡­" His voice trailed off slightly. "¡­I wish I had remained in that life, some days. It seems like a blessing in comparison."

    His hand covered one eye, his other shaking with despair. "Meeting those two- it wasn''t a blessing, it was fate''s curse¡­"

    "Who are you speaking of?" Juno inquired further, leaning forward in his seat. With every word Nicole spoke, he became further interested. However, even he knew there were things that no person in the magical world should know. He hoped that at that point, he would know when to stop himself from lusting after further knowledge.

    "All of us who are trained to become Phantoms¡­ we call him ''Teacher''¡­ I can''t forget those eyes of his that look at you with such disdain. They haunt me in my dreams¡­" Nicole let out a sharp exhale. "The others¡­ the ones who''ve passed the trials set before us¡­ they call him ''The Wicker Man''¡­"

    ''Wicker man? Like a scarecrow? That''s hardly terrifying¡­ I don''t quite get it.'' Lumi¨¨re pondered the thought.

    "Teacher isn''t the scariest being you might learn to fear in that horrible place¡­"

    "Who else is there to be scared of?"

    "At times, if we were out of line, another would visit... the Phantoms would call him ''Judgement''- the ''Guillotine Prince''..." Nicole tried to force a smile on his face, but even laughter couldn''t save him from tears welling up in his eyes. "Do you too live in fear each day, that your head is only a privilege allowed to you- that at any time, it might be taken away with the stroke of a blade...?"

    Silence filled the room. Juno looked at Nicole with horror, and Zelia and Cartwell''s gazes fell towards the floor.

    "Have you ever felt like you''re being watched, Shylock?" Nicole asked suddenly.

    "Yes, always. Why?" Juno was shocked out of his atonishment.

    "Have you ever considered that that feeling might be a warning of someone''s presence?"

    "Who''s presence?" Juno asked in return.

    "''His'' presence."

    Everyone listening, even the one posing as a Demon, felt their shoulders tense up.

    "The deity they serve is a ''he''. As ''he'' learns, ''he'' becomes. All he knows is his." Of course, a deity would be referred to with much more significance than a regular person in conversation. For the deities worshipped in small convents scattered throughout the Empire, such as the Horned God and the Mother of Roots and Soil, they would be referred to as ''he'' and ''she'' respectively. It was a small matter of respect, of reverence for their might. You could not trust in the benevolence of a deity, but you could trust in their power, and so it was best, even if the deity was one you opposed, to refer to them in such ways. Nicole continued, his eyes growing hazy and his lips quivering. "The product of this- of this is the Phantoms obsession with directly or indirectly creating strange and unusual scenarios, often resulting in the loss of lives."

    As Nicole began to speak, each person in the private room began to feel an odd feeling. It was the feeling of ice on their back. Whether it was placebo from listening in, or an actuality, each person in the room became acutely aware of their surroundings.

    "For this purpose, children are kidnapped from their families or from the streets and taken to¡­ to that place¡­"

    "That place?" Cartwell posed a question. His eyes looked to the side, aware of the presence behind him, but too frozen in place to look any further.

    "I''m not really sure exactly where it is. Somewhere far away, I''m sure¡­ there''s a tower that stretches high into the endlessly stormy sky. Pitch black, like obsidian, with an interior that seems to fall endlessly towards the abyss down below¡­" Nicole bit his lip, letting out an anxious breath. "You can hear the screams of the trialgoers- the children kidnapped and forced to become Heretics or Black Mages for the purpose of spreading purposeful chaos¡­"

    He covered both of his eyes and muttered.

    "In the Black Tower, no light remains."

 Chapter 66: May the Garden flourish

    "How are we supposed to hide from him?" Zelia murmured, her eyes widened in fear.

    "You- you won''t." Nicole stammered, lowering his head. "Sorry, but now for you all¡­ you''ll have to share my fears¡­"

    Lumi¨¨re, unperturbed, spoke out. "No, this is good. If our fates are intertwined, there will be no difficulty in tracking that deity and the Phantoms down. All that''s left is to prepare ourselves in time for that inevitable occurrence."

    He leaned his head back on his hand.

    "Have you guys forgotten who you''ve made a deal with?"

    Nicole, glancing over towards the Demon of the Garden, suddenly recalled one of his first conversations with the figure. While walking alongside who he had first perceived as Lumi¨¨re Croft, he had conversed with Mr. Demon, and he had promised to defend Nicole and the White Roses. In the end, Meraline, who he had assumed would be able to protect herself, was the only one who had died. Mr. Demon had kept his promise. If any problems were to arise, he was sure that Mr. Demon would protect them. Nicole let a sharp exhale brush past his lips, his anxiety escaping with it. Then, he conjured up the courage to speak seriously, loudly, confidently.

    However, it was in warning. "If you see a gaze staring at you from the darkness, don''t fear it. It just means those Phantoms- it just means they''ve begun to watch you."

    Suddenly, each person in the room began to understand the chill they felt on their backs. It was a feeling of horror, of despair. While Lumi¨¨re observed their gazes, he felt a little uneasy that he had caused them to fear. However, at the same time, he felt the accumulation of their fear ease his own ''Despair'' ability.

    ''Unfortunately, this was just something we all had to come to know of. The implications it brings are definitely immense, but all we can do now is prepare for the danger that awaits us.''

    "If there''s ever a time where you feel as if you''re in danger, you can call upon me."

    After a moment, each member let out a sigh, and turned towards the Demon of the Garden.

    "Thank you, Mr. Ophelia." Cartwell nodded his head politely.

    "Yes, it''s a comfort to know that we can do so." Zelia followed.

    They all seemed to visibly relax after Lumi¨¨re reminded them of their ability to call on him for assistance. Of course, according to the issue, it might be difficult for him to do so. For a Demon, as long as a deal was made, most requests were possible based on the Demon''s law of equivalent exchange.

    Rather than function based off of the basic laws reality followed, according to the texts Lumi¨¨re had once pulled off of the monastery''s shelf, the realm in which the Demons resided tended to bend rules a bit. Like a genie granting a wish, as long as a suitable crossroads deal occurred, the Demon would be able to make it possible.

    This was what made a Demon so powerful, so terrifying that Lumi¨¨re could use it to distract the members of the Mythos Garden from his true affiliation with an evil deity. However, since he had no ability to make actual exchanges, he had been relying on pure chance that they wouldn''t ask for anything too

    ''What will I say if any of them use the one wish I''ve offered them? In that instance, maybe even lies won''t be enough. Thankfully, Lysander''s wish was something I could agree upon in advance. If he''s to die, I''ll have to think of some means of fulfilling it...''

    "Does anyone else have anything they wish to speak of?"

    Zelia raised her hand suddenly. Looking over towards her, Lumi¨¨re nodded his head.

    "In the capital, all the Higher and Lesser Noble families have gathered, as well as all members of the Senate and the Centurian Assembly. The High Conference will take place shortly. Various matters of state will be discussed there. I myself will be attending."

    "As will I." Cartwell added.

    Lumi¨¨re scoffed inwardly. ''Hmmph. Well, I know one nobleman who won''t be in attendance. He''s too busy trying to rope me into his games.''

    "What''s the High Conference?" Nicole asked, puzzled. He had mostly calmed down, and his nerves had relaxed.

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    "It''s a meeting for all the stuck-up brats living in Lindgram." Juno sighed.

    Zelia''s eyebrow twitched as she listened to Juno.

    "Don''t begin to think you know anything of it, merchant." Cartwell chided in response.

    ''They''re like bickering children¡­'' Lumi¨¨re sighed inwardly. ''I''m sure they''ll come together once we truly start the operation. There''s no time to act like this when you''re in danger. It''s not like Juno- no, like Shylock is an antagonistic person. He seems to be very jesting, and just happens to hit Laertes''s and Lysander''s nerves often. If this continues, it won''t be horribly unsolveable. I can just threaten to kill him.''

    "I''ve never been to Lindgram." Nicole shook his head, oblivious to their fighting. "Is it quite nice there?"

    "It is very nice. It''s so incredibly massive- thirty-nine stratums in total, thirteen in the outer region, the middle region, and the center region." She began to speak towards Nicole as if she were a mother telling a child a story. "In the center of Lindgram, there''s a massive marble palace that pierces the sky- so polished that it glistens under the sun as if it were a second sun in the center of the city. Unlike Leiden, it almost never rains in Lindgram. It''s almost become an unlucky omen in a way for all of us that live there."

    ''Of course, that''s the perspective a noblewoman would have regarding the Capital.'' Lumi¨¨re pondered, humoured. ''Growing up not worrying for a thing¡­ her perspective, I wonder how narrowed it has become?''

    "I think I would like to go one day." Nicole smiled happily. "It sounds very fun."

    In response, Zelia brightened. "I''ll take you one day, then. You can visit my family''s estate! Our baker makes wonderful delicacies during the day, and the servants brew the most perfect tea using leaves from our garden!"

    Juno scoffed. "If you had such a perfect life, Laertes, why bother with entering the magical world? Don''t you put that all at risk?"

    "That- that''s a secret." Zelia''s visage shifted to a more reserved look. She averted her gaze, and her genial attitude ceased. Nicole, seeing this, also looked towards his feet.

    For once, however, Juno conceded that he had went too far. "My apologies, Laertes. I shouldn''t have pried further."

    Without exploring her background, Juno had still been able to gather that her past was one filled with tragedy. Of course, he had just been messing with her, but antagonising her to such an extent was not his goal. Moreover, he had become wary not only of angering her attendant, Cartwell, but was also hesitant to anger the Demon of the Garden.

    "It''s fine. Don''t mind it too much." Zelia let out a sigh, turning her head towards the head of the table. Lumi¨¨re had raised his hand as if to silence them.

    He smiled gently and spoke. "This has been the first meeting of the commission, Mythos Garden. If none are opposed, this meeting will end here for today. However, before we adjourn, I would like to say a few things."

    All attention was immediately diverted to listening to Lumi¨¨re.

    "None of you shall discuss the details of our meetings with anyone outside of this room. Of course, there''s no need to hide them. It''s obvious to anyone in the House of Cards that we''re meeting with each other. Still, the contents of our correspondences must remain a secret."

    ''If that secret organisation were to catch wind of our plans, they would surely send someone to foil them before we could even have a chance to enact them.'' Juno nodded his head as he ruminated. ''This much makes sense.''

    "Second, I would rather you treat our meetings in the future with a little more seriousness." The temperament in his eyes changed. As he stared at each member of the Garden, they began to feel that the threat of the icy gaze on their backs was also equivalent to the one in front of them.

    "As you wish, Mr. Ophelia," was the general response.

    "My apologies." Juno echoed once more.

    "Then, you all may go."

    Juno was the first to stand up, and facing Lumi¨¨re, bowed his head. "May the Garden flourish."

    Lumi¨¨re''s eyebrow twitched instinctively. ''That was really stupid, merchant. Why bother saying something so cringeworthy?''

    Unknowingly, Nicole followed suit. He stood up from his seat, and bowing towards Lumi¨¨re, repeated the phrase. "May the Garden flourish."

    ''Fuck, don''t copy him...''

    Then the other two stood up and spoke in unison. "May the Garden flourish."

    ''Please don''t tell me that just became a thing? How am I supposed to speak out against that now? You all seem so happy to say it¡­'' Lumi¨¨re cursed inwardly. ''Well, maybe it''s for the best. The more they feel as if this group is their own, the more they''ll do for it¡­''

    A grin curled up his lips. "May the Garden flourish." He spoke in response.

    One by one, the members of the Garden began to exit the private room, with Nicole following behind him as the last person to leave. The five walked through the halls under the ire of the attendant''s gazes. From their perspective, a strange man in a black cloak had waltzed in, killed another man for seemingly no reason, and then brought in an outsider before adjourning to a meeting room with three others.

    As Juno, Cartwell, and Zelia glanced around them, it felt as if they had made an enemy of the entire room. Nicole remained oblivious, bouncing up and down like a little dog behind his owner as he followed the Demon of the Garden.

    Lumi¨¨re, who had been ignoring it up to this point, suddenly smirked.

    ''It seems everyone is keen to become my enemy. It''s already at a point where it''s too much to handle. Does it really matter if I antagonise them further?'' Lumi¨¨re humoured himself.

    As they stepped out of the door of the House of Cards, the space around them shimmered, and Nicole and Lumi¨¨re found themselves back in the alleyway they had came from. Nicole glanced around and noticed the lack of the three other members he had previously met.

    "Why did they not exit with us?" Nicole asked, bewildered. "Where did they disappear to?"

    "Back to their lives, little mage." Lumi¨¨re pulled the collar of his coat up to his cheek, letting a breath of steam fill the cold morning air. "Welcome to the intricacies of the magical world."

 Chapter 67: Contemplation

    After taking Nicole back to the monastery''s hospital, Lumi¨¨re stood at the edge of a building''s rooftop, looking over the moonlit middle borough.

    ''Now that the loose ends like Nicole are consolidated to one manageable group, this settles one of my larger problems. However, there''s still so much to deal with¡­ there''s so many unanswered questions¡­''

    ''What did the Phantom Syndicate want with the church? If going to monastery was to cause chaos, then was it a singular event, or were they trying to start an even larger plan to topple the orthodoxy? If that Rat Man was one of the ''trialgoers'' that Nicole mentioned- children raised to be soldiers of chaos, then why did he have one of the Spade Cards? What connection does the Phantom Syndicate truly have with the Cards? This is definitely something the Joker knows, but he''s not privy to tell me as I am now. By his own words, I have to ''grow stronger''¡­''

    ''Adonis Trinder seemed to know off the bat of the connection the Phantom Syndicate had to the attack, but by Constantine Adler''s orders, he can''t say much more. This means that if I want to know more, I''ll have to consult Constantine directly. Once I''ve settled a few matters, I''ll go seek him out and learn more¡­''

    Lumi¨¨re let out a long sigh that was filled with fatigue, both of mind and body. It seemed like he had not rested in the couple of months since danger had begun to follow him. A man constantly on the run rarely had time to stop and think, much less rest.

    ''Why did Lord Sinner choose me? What grand plot must he be scheming, and why am I a part of it? If it is true what Ms. Sevant- no, what Gluttony says, and we are truly from different worlds, then this is too large of a plan for me to even comprehend¡­''

    ''The only constant is the Rememberers¡­ those intensely powerful figures that killed Gluttony''s lover¡­'' Lumi¨¨re ruminated. ''But why? What do they want with the Primordial Sins? Are they enemies of the Sinner, or protectors of the world that try to stop its inevitable destruction?''

    ''And if the Rememberers pretend to be our friends, family, and comrades¡­ then who in my life could possibly be one? Could this Orion Callister be one of them? But why would he go through so much trouble to mess with me if his real goal was to stop me from destroying the world? Isn''t antagonising me equivalent to stoking that flame? Could it be Ainsworth? No, he''s one of the people I trust the most¡­''

    ''Even if Ainsworth is a Rememberer, it doesn''t matter. I don''t have to think in such absolutes. Protecting those I consider my loved ones is my conviction, and avenging them is my drive. Even if I lose trust in them, I''ll die protecting them. I''ll just become a martyr of lies and regret nothing.''

    Lumi¨¨re grinned as his cloaked flutter in the wind, placing a hand against his chin before looking up at the sky.

    ''I wonder if I look cool and dashing right now?''

    ''No, never mind. That''s an embarrassing thought process to have.''

    ''Still, isn''t this a young boy''s dream?'' Lumi¨¨re stretched and yawned. ''To tiptoe the line between being good and evil, to lead a group of powerful people into a fight so greater-than-thou... it really is a child''s greatest fantasy...''

    ''If only I could continue treating it so lightheartedly... since stumbling into the monastery that night, I''ve been nothing but over my own head. There''s really been too much to juggle.. I''ve abandoned myself to my tasks, but does that mean I have to throw away peaceful moments like these as well? Even Deities take breaks, so why can''t I?'' Lumi¨¨re smiled as he sat down at the rooftop''s edge, gazing over the middle borough.

    ''I wonder how far I''ll be able to go, sailing on lies?''

    === In Leiden''s middle borough, in a small estate not far from Leiden''s South wall, Marssum. ===

    Sitting at a seat by an ornately-decorated window, Juno looked out at the small garden in which he had hired servants to attend to. Water spilled from the decorative stone fountains, and various types of flowers jutted out from the seams in the stone path that led away from the estate. Sipping on warm water, he set down the glass and began to lose himself in thought.

    ''Learning of the Phantoms was a necessity, but that sense of being watched still remains¡­ no wonder all that boy does is tremble. Having been engaged in this commission means that we have Mr. Ophelia''s protection, that much is true. If Mr. Ophelia really did manage to find a perfect vessel in Lumi¨¨re Croft, the One of Spades, then that means the power he can wield should be extraordinary, as demonstrated in the fight against Johan Basque.'' Juno leaned back in his seat, posturing his head on his hand as he let out a sigh. ''So, why do I still feel so uneasy¡­?''

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    ''Is this just the type of people we''re dealing with? How powerful could they be to stand as the top secret organisation? Could they be on the level of the House of Cards? No, if they''re at the top, then they''re above even the Joker¡­'' A humoured smile curled up Juno''s lips. ''I wonder if joining the ''Mythos Garden'' will have negatively affected my deal with Massimo Leonetti? Technically, Mr. Ophelia looks out for the interests of Lumi¨¨re Croft, who has closely befriended Constantine Adler, who we''ll be looking to compete against in the marketplace of trade¡­''

    Juno leaned forward in his seat, pressing his hands together as he stared back out of the window. ''This situation is really shaping up to be interesting, isn''t it?''

    === In Lindgram''s Second Inner Stratum, in a large estate directly underneath the Emperor''s towering marble palace. ===

    "Are you nervous?" Cartwell turned towards Zelia, who stood at the edge of her bedroom whilst twirling in a lacy, frilly white dress.

    "Why ask? Do you think I fear seeing his family again?" She didn''t pay a glance to her attendant, staring at her countenance in the mirror. Her eyes had been sharpened with midnight-black eyeliner, and her cheeks had been slightly blushed. She resembled, despite her usually-charming appearance, a very radiant person.

    "The last time you saw my Lord''s family was his funeral, and that didn''t end very well. They''ve never liked you, only the Chatelain family''s means."

    "Now that they can''t enjoy those connections, they have no reason to pretend they ever enjoyed my presence." Zelia sighed.

    Zelia''s late husband, who had been killed nearly a year prior, belonged to a High Noble house prominent for their exports of jewelry and fine jewels. Of course, for the Chatelain family, who exported Iyasul crystals for their use in machinery, also bred opportunity for refinement of jewelry. Because they could be easily self-reproduced, the jewelry made from the glimmering crystals were not only sold to the Noble houses who commonly could afford jewelry, but even the middle-class women whose husbands worked menial jobs.

    "Do you still seek revenge for him? Are you still chasing that dream after this long?" Cartwell asked, his expression torn. "Is that why you picked that name to represent you during Mr. Ophelia''s gathering?"

    "Don''t call it a dream. It''s an inevitability, Cartwell." Zelia twirled the dress once more before turning towards him. "I''ll find who did it, and I''ll kill them myself."

    "Why didn''t you ask that of Mr. Ophelia? You held onto your wish at the gathering. What else could you be saving it for?"

    Suddenly, the door to their room creaked open. Several attendants dressed in stark black and white uniforms stepped in, carrying various metal dishes that let off fragrant aromas, both sweet and savoury, into the air.

    "It seems supper has been prepared." Cartwell laughed dryly. "Tell me, will you eat in that white dress, knowing whatever stain remains on it will be present when the morning comes?"

    "You do not know what I wish, Cartwell. Perhaps I want to attend the High Conference in a stained dress. Perhaps it is the new style amongst Noble women."

    Cartwell shrugged. "How could I think to know the mind of a Noble lady? You''re quite right, my Lady."

    The two laughed before sitting down at the table. After the attendants had left the room, and the door had been closed shut, the two dined together. This was a common occurrence for the two. Cartwell had been alongside Zelia since she was born, as that had been his purpose from the moment his life had first started. He was more company than servant. She had many people who could feed and clothe her, but no one to share a decent conversation with. Cartwell was a servant by name, but a friend for life.

    As Cartwell brought a forkful of salted meat to his mouth, he mused. "We truly have gotten ourselves into trouble, haven''t we? Do you think it was my mistake to accept Shylock''s commission to hunt down Johan Basque? Do you regret joining the ''Mythos Garden''?"

    "You said it yourself that Mr. Ophelia could be listening to us through the contract marks. Why speak like this?"

    "Now that Nicole has told us of that Phantom Syndicate, aren''t we being watched by more than just Mr. Ophelia? Regret or not, there''s no turning back. Mr. Ophelia knows this. Even if he''s listening, he''ll know we''re with him. There is no other choice."

    Cartwell set down his fork, a clattering sound echoing through the room. His visage darkened considerably, and he asked once more. "So, do you regret my actions?"

    "I would never regret something you do, my dearest attendant. Don''t feel guilty for roping me into this. I know you want to do everything you can for your sister, and that''s why you accepted it, even if you knew I would follow alongside you. I promise I''m looking out for myself as well. I''m not a blinded woman anymore."

    "Good, good." Cartwell''s gaze fell back towards his food. "Well, if you don''t regret it, then I can''t say anything more about it."

    Zelia eyed the sauce that spilled off of the saut¨¦ed vegetables in the center of her plate. The charred exterior gradually melded into the steaming crimson coulis, made from various vegetable roots and raspberries. Picking up one of the charred vegetables with her fork, she placed it to her lips and let out a satisfied sigh. The flavour was a mixture of stark contrasts- a tart sweetness from the sauce clashing with the bitter saltiness of the vegetables.

    Still, despite its flavour, even in recent days had her favourite dishes had begun to dwindle in excitement. As she set her fork down once more, her gaze darkened. Only one thing had been on her mind.

    Revenge.

 Chapter 68: Sentiment

    ''I need to be alive in order to be destined to destroy the world. Either that, or something I do will cause a domino effect that ends the world. In either case, it seems I have time to grow stronger. I have nothing to fear.'' Lumi¨¨re scoffed. ''How ironic, that I must be destined to destroy the world I wish to change, and that it would also end up being my saving grace in such a precarious time.''

    That was the conclusion he had come to the night prior. Of course, fate remained moveable. However, if he were to act cautiously, there was some assurance that he would have time to act out his plans.

    Not having slept, Lumi¨¨re made his way to the show hall in the morning. He knew that being apart from the White Roses for more than a couple of days would raise their suspicion of him, so he wanted to act quickly. There was still a few things he had to resolve.

    When he entered the show hall, he was greeted by a familiar lavender scent, and a woman with a kind smile who found herself busy with paperwork. He stood in front of her desk for a time, watching as she cluelessly continued her work. Then, after what seemed like an entire minute, she finally realised his presence, and glanced upwards.

    ¡°Miss Lavant, It¡¯s been a while.¡± Lumi¨¨re tipped his hat slightly, smiling genially.

    Her expression took on a mixture of surprise and joy. ¡°Mr. Croft! It really has been a while, hasn¡¯t it? Your time off¡ª¡ª I hope it¡¯s been good relief.¡±

    ¡°Haha, I wish it was. Unfortunately, I¡¯ve been really busy these past few weeks.¡±

    ¡®Quite an understatement. If only I had been preoccupied with household chores and the accouterments of a normal life.¡¯ Lumi¨¨re cursed in jest.

    ¡°That¡¯s quite unfortunate. Still, we¡¯ve missed you very much here, Mr. Croft. The show just isn¡¯t the same without your performance.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s doubly unfortunate. I¡¯m here to quit.¡±

    Ms. Lavant¡¯s eyes widened. She leaned forward, her head on her hand as she teased him. ¡°So, have you come here to say goodbye to me? You could have mailed in your resignation.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re laughed. ¡°You¡¯re right, I¡¯ve come just for you.¡±

    Her cheeks flushed slightly, but her genial expression remained. ¡°Don¡¯t you know by now? I can see through your tricks, magician.¡±

    ¡°In reality, I¡¯m here to see the Madame. I have a final proposition for her.¡±

    ¡°A proposition? What could you offer the Madame that makes it seem to you that there¡¯s a chance she would accept? You know how stubborn she can be.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re nodded his head. ¡°I¡¯m aware. Still, I think my offer will entice her. After all, she either loses me while making no profit, or loses me while making some profit. To her, the right choice is obvious.¡±

    ¡°You talk highly of yourself, don¡¯t you?¡± Her eyes furrowed with satisfaction, looking at Lumi¨¨re as a friend for once. Most often, while their conversations were pleasant and genial, they remained coworkers, never delving into the deeper topics that friends might. However, realising that it may be the last time she would converse with the magician again, she refused the barrier between them.

    ¡°If one is to be, then they must act. Isn¡¯t the best way for me to become someone one would talk highly of acting as such?¡±

    ¡°Hah, you¡¯re being a little too philosophical for me.¡± Ms. Lavant laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t you know I barely completed my education?¡±

    ¡°I had no compulsory education at all.¡± Lumi¨¨re retorted wittily.

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    ¡°Fair point. However, what I lack in knowledge I make up for in attitude. Aren¡¯t I a gem?¡±

    ¡°Quite.¡±

    After they had finished their bouts of laughter, the mood between them grew quiet.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a pleasure to work alongside you, Clementine. Thank you for always hearing me out.¡± Lumi¨¨re couldn¡¯t help but reminisce. It felt a little sad to leave her and the show hall behind. It was the remnants of a simpler time. Unfortunately, Lumi¨¨re had an arduous path ahead of him. He had to leave that life behind.

    ¡°I felt the same, Lumi¨¨re. I hope your future endeavours serve you well.¡± She smiled. ¡°If you¡¯re ever in the area, be sure to pay me a visit.¡±

    Then, without saying another word, Lumi¨¨re walked past her and down the hall littered with portraits.

    Soon, Lumi¨¨re found himself in a fancifully-decorated lounging room. There were several patterned-satin seats around the room, and at the back wall, there was an ornate polished wooden desk.

    Madame Estte Van Claudia was the sole proprietor of the Show Hall, a woman who bore the weight of responsibility on her shoulders. It was once that she was a person who always had a smile on her face. However, after her husband¡¯s death, it became her responsibility to manage his businesses and assets. Because of that, she had become a jaded person. Her only outlook was what could improve the stability of the business. Still, Lumi¨¨re knew that kindness lurked within her.

    ¡°Good morning, Madame.¡± Lumi¨¨re smiled, confident. In the past, he had been somewhat averse to speaking with her, almost scared of her. After all, her whims had been his livelihood. Now, however, there was no need to fear losing his job. At the same time, after facing so many horrors, it had almost become trivial to speak with her.

    ¡°Mr. Croft. It¡¯s been some time. Are you ready to return to work?¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately Madame, it¡¯s the contrary. I¡¯m here to hand in my resignation.¡± Lumi¨¨re retrieved an envelop from his interior pocket, placing it on her desk. She glanced down at it, unamused.

    ¡°Do you want more money? Is that it? I¡¯m sure I can find some room in the budget for that. You don¡¯t need to play tricks like this.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m quite serious Madame. Unfortunately, there¡¯s no offer you can possibly make that will lead me to stay.¡±

    ¡°So that¡¯s it? After all this time, you¡¯re just going to quit? What happened to the passionate boy who first came to me begging for a chance?¡±

    ¡°That boy has been killed many times over by the monotony of show business.¡± Lumi¨¨re jested. ¡°Still, I have a final proposition for you.¡±

    The Madame perked up in her seat, curious. ¡°Speak.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re sat down in the seat across from her. He exuded an air of confidence. ¡°Let¡¯s put on a final performance.¡±

    ¡°I thought you wanted to quit.¡±

    ¡°I do. However, I would be unsatisfied leaving this part of my life like a loose end. I know you¡¯re doubly dissatisfied to watch me leave, knowing it will affect your profit. So, don¡¯t you want to squeeze every final trest out of me that you can?¡±

    ¡°You know me well, magician.¡± The Madame ruminated on the thought, swiveling back and forth in her seat as she considered Lumi¨¨re¡¯s proposition. ¡°So, what do you have in mind?¡±

    Lumi¨¨re grinned, knowing he had caught her in his trap. For a time, the two discussed the details of the show, and before long, the Madame began to smile. Lumi¨¨re could tell it was genuine. She had been impressed.

    ¡°If only you had come up with such things when you were working for me. Now, I might be a little sad to see you go.¡± She jested.

    Lumi¨¨re stood up from his seat, tipping his hat towards her. ¡°I would have the same sentiment, were it not for being excited to leave.¡±

    ¡°Can I not be genuine without you joking around? Perhaps you would have been a better clown than magician.¡±

    ¡°Fortunately, that¡¯s not the career path I chose. Otherwise, I would be in a precarious situation these days.¡±

    ¡°Do you have somewhere else to go, Mr. Croft?¡±

    Lumi¨¨re nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve found my place. That¡¯s the reason why I must leave.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± The Madame leaned back in her seat, sighing. ¡°Why is it that the most capable men must leave me behind?¡±

    Lumi¨¨re¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Did you really think me capable, or is this another joke?¡±

    ¡°You always managed to capture the audience¡¯s attention. More than that, you never failed to make them laugh or smile, even when you used them for your benefit. Above all, despite your terrible attitude, you held that goal above everything else. It was admirable. I¡¯m glad you were able to make your name here, Lumi¨¨re Croft.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re grinned. ¡°Your words won¡¯t move me, witch.¡±

    She laughed.

    ¡°Perhaps not. But it was worth a try.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re turned his back towards her, walking towards the door. ¡°Then, two weeks from now. I¡¯ll see you then.¡±

    There was no logical reason for doing such a thing. In some way, it was just his sentiment guiding him. For the goal he had striven for his whole life, he wanted such a thing to have a good final chapter. For him, a final performance meant he was closing the book on being a magician. It was a purpose that had been gifted to him long ago, and he no longer needed it.

    While the things he had learned as a magician would forever stick with him, it was time to say goodbye to that identity.

 Chapter 69: Flawless Illusion

    As Lumi¨¨re exited the show hall, he saw the familiar form of a silvery wisp rush past. It hopped up and down, glowing a magnificent colour. Its ears were tucked behind its head, and each sight of it felt like it had occurred an infinite numbers of times before.

    ¡®The repeating rabbit¡­? If it¡¯s here, does that mean that something strange has occurred in this area?¡¯

    Lumi¨¨re began to glance around, wary of any changes that may have happened. He began to follow the rabbit through the streets of the middle borough, cautious of the dangers that surrounded him. Soon, he found himself in an alleyway.

    In the darkness of the alley, a familiar figure took shape. He was accompanied by several others, all of which held daggers in their hands, holding the point of the blades up to their necks.

    ¡°We should really stop meeting like this.¡± As he stared at the man in the darkness, his countenance gradually revealed itself. He had bright-orange hair and emerald eyes, and was incessantly twirling a chess piece in between his fingers. It was Orion Callister, the former sponsor of Callis Alisander.

    ¡°Do you not enjoy my company, Black?¡±

    After a moment of thinking, Lumi¨¨re realised he was referring to ¡®King in Black¡¯, the title that Orion Callister had referred to him as previously. Lumi¨¨re smirked, replying, ¡°if I am the ¡®King in Black¡¯ in this game, then are you the ¡®King in White¡¯? Is this why you refer to the people you control as ¡®pawns¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Your deduction skills really are wonderful. That¡¯s right. I hope you will refer to me as such in the future. What I want isn¡¯t a fistfight between a nobleman and commoner. I want two minds equal on a field of battle- of manipulation, lies, and trickery. Of course, if it were to end up that we duel to the death, that would also be fine. However, I ended up choosing you for this role because I thought you would be the perfect candidate for my ideal game.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re quite a twisted individual, aren¡¯t you, White?¡± Lumi¨¨re had decided to give in to Orion Callister¡¯s game. It wasn¡¯t that he found much interest in it, rather that he had resolved himself to gain experience. If he were to plot out how he would take down an entire organisation, starting with a fight against an intelligent man would surely help. He had decided, ultimately, that it was to his benefit to do so.

    ¡°Perhaps. Of course, I¡¯ll never tell you why I do what I do. Isn¡¯t the hallmark of a rival to be a mysterious, enigmatic personality?¡± Orion extended his left hand towards Lumi¨¨re, smiling. It began to glow a sinister crimson colour as he spoke. ¡°Allow me to wear that hat of yours. It¡¯s quite fanciful.¡±

    Because Lumi¨¨re had made an appearance at the show hall, and before that attended a meeting with the Mythos Garden, he had been wearing his gaudy attire. As such, he had also been wearing the top hat that had been gifted to him a long time ago- a treasure he would never give away by choice. Still, every muscle in his body urged him to step forward. It was terrifying and painful, to move in a direction you didn¡¯t want to go. The more he tried to force himself to stop walking, the more pain he felt, until he was forced to let go, and allow his body to move as it pleased.

    His expression grew blank, and before long, he found himself taking his hat off, handing it to Orion. Orion quickly accepted it, placing it atop his head before smiling. ¡°So obedient. You¡¯re a good little puppy.¡±

    Slowly, Lumi¨¨re recovered control of his body, along with his lucidity. He saw Orion sitting above him, wearing his hat. Immediately, he reached his hand out, but not towards Orion, touching one of the controlled people beside him. As Orion watched this, his expression grew confused.

    ¡°It¡¯s a strange feeling, your power. Do all of these people feel pain?¡±

    ¡°Unless they give up their control, probably.¡± Orion shrugged.

    ¡°Can I have my hat back?¡±

    ¡°Is it that important to you?¡±

    Lumi¨¨re nodded. So, Orion¡¯s gaze softened, taking off the hat and handing it back to Lumi¨¨re. For a moment, it felt like they weren¡¯t enemies.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Lumi¨¨re stepped back, still watching the figure before him.

    Lumi¨¨re sighed. ¡°So, what is it you have in mind? I know our goal is to kill each other, but to what extent will that go? If I shoot you here right now, won¡¯t you be quite bored?¡±

    Orion nodded his head. ¡°I would. I anticipated you saying so. For me, turning this game elaborate is enough motive. However, I thought that the thrill wouldn¡¯t be enough to move you. So, I¡¯ve prepared rewards to keep you going. I know you love money, being destitute and all.¡±

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    ¡°Funny. What are the requirements for such rewards?¡± Lumi¨¨re had no shame in asking such a question. Of course, Orion was right. He loved money. That was why despite accruing three-hundred Len since acquiring the powers of Heresy and the bestowment gifted to him by Lord Sinner, he had spent nearly nothing at all.

    ¡°I¡¯ve thought up three goals I wish for you to meet while we play this game. Of course, I can¡¯t give you the rewards if I die, and so I¡¯ve prepared one of my attendants with the task of delivering the necessary gifts to you in the event that you meet these goals.¡± Orion leaned back on his hands, satisfied. ¡°The first goal, quite obviously, is to kill me. In doing so, my attendant will reward you with one-thousand Len.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re¡¯s gaze shook. Even after dealing with so much, he still had the mannerisms of a poor bastard. It was enticing, to hear of the promise of more money than he had ever seen at once. With a thousand Len, Lumi¨¨re could purchase a home in the middle borough. It was enough for one to live a comfortable life.

    Still, he kept a calm demeanor about him. ¡°Second?¡±

    ¡°I will manipulate the entirety of Leiden to work against you without using my power of control. I hope that you will fight against it. I¡¯ll unravel your entirety before your friends and comrades, so try not to break. If you can succeed in stopping this plan of mine, my attendant will reward you with three-thousand Len.¡±

    ¡®I¡¯ll kill you before you let them know of anything that could implicate me. If I kill you before you can enact your plan, I win this as well. It¡¯s stupid of you to reward me on top of that.¡¯

    ¡°Anything else?¡±

    ¡°I want you to stoke rebellion. A just, righteous rebellion.¡±

    ¡°Against who?¡±

    ¡°The Imperium.¡± Orion¡¯s grin was nauseating, terrifying.

    ¡°Why would a nobleman wish to rebel against the government?¡±

    ¡°For entertainment. Why else?¡±

    Lumi¨¨re let out an audible sigh.

    ¡°You¡¯re really twisted. So, when does this game of yours start? I¡¯m quite a busy person.¡± He was hoping that Orion wouldn¡¯t disappoint. After all, the whole point of accepting being a part of his game was to gain experience fighting intelligent enemies.

    ¡°The moment you leave, I suppose.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re gestured towards the people surrounding Orion. ¡°So, what¡¯s with all the people you¡¯re holding hostage?¡±

    ¡°I thought it would make me look cooler. Was I off the mark?¡±

    ¡°A little bit. It was interesting the first time, but now it seems a bit repetitive. However, I¡¯m of the mind to ignore you threatening their lives. They don¡¯t mean very much to me. They don¡¯t serve much purpose in defending you from me.¡±

    Orion sighed. ¡°I thought as much.¡± He reached inside of his jacket, procuring a gun and subsequently pointed it at Lumi¨¨re. ¡°I prepared contingencies. If you were to attack, I would use this. If you were to appear before me with several others following you, the people I placed under my control would fall from the rooftops above us in order to assist me. While these people beside me have been commanded to be ready to kill themselves, I could also have used them as sacrificial soldiers.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re raised his hands, laughing. ¡°It appears I was careless. You¡¯ve definitely outclassed me here. However, since our last meeting, I¡¯ve been practicing quite a bit. It¡¯s to the extent that you didn¡¯t seem to notice that I also prepared a contingency.¡±

    ¡°Notice what?¡± Orion¡¯s expression perked up, curious.

    Lumi¨¨re lowered his hands, placing one against his neck while grinning. The expression on his face gradually faded, along with his countenance. As Orion gazed upon him, the figure¡¯s expression became blank-eyed, looking back towards him as if ready for his commands. The figure held a knife to his neck, as if told to do so. Orion¡¯s eyes widened, and his focus snapped to the left of him. Lumi¨¨re grinned, holding up his pistol, Cerces, to Orion¡¯s head.

    ¡°The first principle of a magician is to distract. The second principle is that the distraction must have a purpose, a leading goal.¡± Lumi¨¨re spoke in a deep tone. ¡°The third principle is that the distraction must lead the audience to the hidden truth behind the ordeal, creating a wonderful spectacle for them to enjoy. So, White, have you enjoyed this trick of mine?¡±

    Orion¡¯s expression was ecstatic, filled with surprise, joy, and elation. ¡°You were an illusion this whole time! No, you were definitely real when you first arrived here! When could you have possibly switched with one of my pawns?¡±

    Lumi¨¨re had been cautious from the moment he had seen the repeating rabbit, aware that something must have occurred. When he realised that Orion had appeared, he hadn¡¯t let his guard down. Because he had put his illusion into practice before, he had gradually improved his ability to control it. The only flaw of his ability was that any Arisen that had  achieved a higher level of power than him would be able to see through it. However, Orion had mentioned before that his power of Control had been borrowed, which meant that he likely hadn¡¯t become an Arisen in the first place. The fact that Orion had fallen for his illusion had proven that assumption.

    ¡°When you commanded me to hand you my hat, I touched one of your commanded pawns. You seemed a little confused by this, but you didn¡¯t question it. This, in essence, was to mislead you. The moment I touched the pawn on your right, I switched places with one of the pawns on your left. From that very moment, you began to question the meaning of my action when it truly had no meaning at all.¡±

    ¡°I see, so you touching that pawn was always meant to distract from what you were really doing. How did you manage to conjure such a flawless illusion, to the point that I could hold a conversation with it?¡±

    Lumi¨¨re shrugged. ¡°Practice.¡±

    Looking into Orion¡¯s eyes, Lumi¨¨re could see a glimmer that brought him a sense of understanding. It looked like suffering behind his elation. ¡°Are you in pain, White? Is this game a distraction for you?¡±

    Orion let out an audible ¡®tsk¡¯. ¡°I told you I wouldn¡¯t tell you why I¡¯m doing this.¡± He placed his gun back in his pocket, his other hand moving Lumi¨¨re¡¯s away from his head. ¡°So, shall we start playing this game?¡±

    Lumi¨¨re grinned. ¡°I¡¯m more than ready.¡±

 Chapter 70: Boundaries

    After meeting with Orion Callister, the ¡®King in White¡¯, Lumi¨¨re adjourned to the monastery on Cobbler¡¯s Street. Since he had previously been released from the middle borough¡¯s main Cathedral, he could feasibly be apart from the White Roses a bit longer. As long as Father Benedict and the Archangel Selaphiel suspected that he was going about his normal life, there was no reason for him to fear.

    However, the moment Lumi¨¨re entered his room, his face paled.

    ¡°At long last.¡± A figure sitting in a chair in the corner spoke, grinning. ¡°I was beginning to fear you would never come by. I was getting lonely.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Hawthorne, it¡¯s been a while.¡± Lumi¨¨re¡¯s brows furrowed. He had purposefully withheld thinking about the man entirely for the longest time. In all situations he had involved himself in, calling Thomas to his side would have revealed his affiliations to those around him, and so he had left the silver flute in the interior pocket of his jacket alone. Moreover, he knew Thomas had been away on business, and so he didn¡¯t bother to disturb him. He didn¡¯t want to anger such an entity.

    ¡°It has. I thought I might as well pay you a visit and catch up.¡± Thomas smiled genially. "After all, you''ve been through so much, yet you still refused to call me, your comrade, to your side. It saddens me, Lumi¨¨re Croft."

    "You were the one who told me to keep my affiliations a secret. Especially now, having joined Heaven''s Roses in order to obtain greater information, being spotted alongside you would only invite more suspicion."

    ''Wait a minute. Is joining Heaven''s Roses directly averse to Lord Sinner? Will he and Thomas see it as a slight towards them, even if I didn''t intend to offend their beliefs?''

    Lumi¨¨re glanced towards Thomas, but the man''s expression didn''t seem to change, as if he already knew. He had expected as much.

    Lumi¨¨re sighed. Now that Thomas was here, at the very least, he wanted to obtain information. "I have some questions, would you mind answering them, since you''re here?"

    "That''s fine. However, I can''t guarantee I will have all the answers, especially if you wish to know about matters that don''t involve the Lord Sinner."

    Lumi¨¨re had already assumed that much. His questions weren''t related to their Lord, at least not directly. ¡°Poe¡¯s Gnosis, you left it for me?¡±

    Thomas nodded his head. ¡°Poe was a dear old friend. He was the first of you Sins. He made that compendium in order to teach those who follow in his footsteps. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s been much help. However, you shouldn¡¯t rely on it too much. It likes to lie.¡±

    ¡®As I first suspected¡­ so Thomas has been around long enough to know my predecessors¡­¡¯

    ¡°You once spoke of alternate means of power. I fear that someone I have recently come into contact with is such an individual. They wielded the power to control others, singularly, as it seems. They displayed no other powers. This may have been just a withholding of their abilities in order to trick me, but I don¡¯t recall any of the other Cursed Domains having such a power. I came to the assumption that this is one of those alternate means.¡± He had hoped that Thomas could give him insight into Orion Calister. While it was just some petty game with a crazed individual, there was still benefit to playing seriously. The more money Lumi¨¨re obtained, the more sway he would have when arranging deals with others in the future.

    Thomas nodded his head. ¡°Something like that is probably the bestowment of a Deity or Demon. However, if it¡¯s only a singular power, they¡¯re probably not the sole chosen of a Deity. If someone like you is chosen by that Deity to become their Beacon- their graceful saint who spreads the word of their might, then they gain full access to the ¡®pathway¡¯ of power laid out by that Deity. If one is blessed by a Deity, but the Deity does not seek to turn them into the foremost representative of their power, then they are a Geas-Bestowed, someone who can only wield a singular chosen power from that Deity¡¯s array of might.¡±

    ¡°All that seems quite confusing. To put it simply, I¡¯ve been chosen by the Lord Sinner to gain access to more power than one usually would, and others who¡¯ve been chosen by the Lord Sinner can only access one of ¡®his¡¯ powers?¡±

    Thomas nodded his head once more. ¡°There can only be one person chosen as a Beacon at a time. Everyone else blessed by Lord Sinner will become a Geas-Bestowed. It¡¯s the same for all other Deities.¡±

    ¡°Is it the same for Demons as well?¡±

    Contrary to Lumi¨¨re¡¯s expectations, Thomas shook his head. ¡°No. While a Demon¡¯s might can match or even exceed a Deity based on their individual ranking, they usually only wield one power, notwithstanding some Demon Noble or King of their realm. For that same reason, one bestowed with a Demonic-Boon is probably more equivalent to a Geas-Bestowed, maybe even less so. If it¡¯s the case that this person you¡¯ve run into has the bestowment of a Demon, then you¡¯re very fortunate.¡±

    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    ¡°Why is that?¡±

    ¡°The Boon of a Demon is only temporary, in comparison to a Geas, which remains until the bestowed¡¯s death, it¡¯s quite inconvenient. The bestowed will have to sacrifice something, usually at great costs in order to please the Demon it wishes to gain power from. Then, that person will be granted use of their power for an agreed-upon period of time.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re grinned, coming to a realisation. ¡°So if I¡¯m able to catch this person unawares, then I¡¯ll essentially be fighting a normal person.¡±

    ¡°You have to be careful when making that assumption. Just like how you were able to obtain our Lord¡¯s Blessing as his Beacon, as well as enter the Cursed Domain of Heresy without repercussion, so could this person. As you mentioned, they could very well be hiding their abilities in order to trick you. You must proceed with caution as always.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re came to a realisation. ¡°How did you know I entered that Cursed Domain? Have you been surveilling me?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll always surveil you. Isn¡¯t that much obvious? After ¡®that¡¯ event, Lord Sinner wishes to keep you safe. However, I¡¯ve been instructed not to interfere too much. I probably shouldn¡¯t be telling you that.¡± He looked over at Lumi¨¨re, smiling. ¡®Lumi¨¨re Croft still hasn¡¯t connected us to the One of Spades card left at the scene. If that¡¯s the case, then he¡¯s likely piecing together that the Phantom Syndicate and the House of Cards are connected. I¡¯m not quite sure that that¡¯s the case, but proceeding with caution towards both is probably best for him. If he were to learn that we left the card behind at the scene, he might begin to despise us for failing to assist him in saving his people. That¡¯s definitely not a good outcome.¡¯

    ¡°Interesting. So your lack of assistance thus far has been out of a lack of necessity?¡± Lumi¨¨re pondered. ¡°Did you imagine I would survive thus far, and chose not to lend me aid?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re destined to survive, given a bit of precaution, Lumi¨¨re Croft. Your fate is to destroy the world.¡±

    ¡°So is that truly Lord Sinner¡¯s plot? To destroy the world?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not our place to know his intentions. However, if that were the case, then your predecessors wouldn¡¯t have been counted as ¡®failures¡¯. Obviously, he expects you to abandon that fate, right? I wonder sometimes if the truth behind all of this is to find someone who won¡¯t destroy the world.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re sighed. ¡°It really is too much to think about.¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t bear to think about the intricate plans of such a high being as our Lord.¡± Thomas laughed dryly.

    Lumi¨¨re posed another question.

    ¡°There doesn¡¯t seem to be much disparity between a First-Arisen and a Fifth-Arisen¡­ what was it, a fledgling and an adept respectively? Recently, I fought against someone at that level, and at first, he seemed very manageable. Of course, he became a vessel for a Demon, and so I was forced to use the ¡®Despair¡¯ persona bestowed to me by Lord Sinner in order to vanquish him. Still, how can there be so little disparity between us despite so many stages of power separating us?¡±

    ¡°There are three stages of ¡®power¡¯ as it pertains to the Cursed Domains and the pathways utilised by a Deity¡¯s Beacon. The Seed, Ascendance, and Zenith are the separatory boundaries between users of magic. For you, an Arisen of the ¡®Seed¡¯ boundary, who fought another of the same, it was feasible for you to vanquish them. The Seed Boundary encapsulates the first five steps in this pathway to power, that being the Fledglings, Initiates, Novices, Practitioners, and Adepts. For you, a Fledgling, it was entirely possible for you to beat an Adept Arisen. However, if they had been just one increment more powerful, it may have been impossible for you to do so.¡±

    ¡°What are the other increments in the Ascendance and Zenith boundaries? And what would have made it impossible, considering it was just a small step upwards?¡±

    Thomas leaned backwards, lost in thought, ¡°For the Ascendance Boundary¡­ it¡¯s been a while since I left it, so it¡¯s hard to recall. In order, I believe it was ¡®Magician, Sorcerer, High Priest/Priestess, Master, and Lord¡¯. As for what could make it impossible for you to beat someone of the Ascendance Boundary, it¡¯s due to the innate physical change that occurs once crossing that boundary. Think of it like a rock trying to break steel. It could only be possible for steel to make a mark on steel.¡±

    It made sense to Lumi¨¨re. However, referring to a person as being ¡®made of steel¡¯ seemed quite terrifying. ¡°You¡¯ve left the Ascendance Boundary? So then, you¡¯re in the highest echelon of magic?¡± Suddenly, Lumi¨¨re began to realise why Thomas once said he would have no chance in preventing him from destroying the entirety of the monastery. He was standing before a giant, a man who held such immense power within himself that it was incomprehensible he could still exist.

    Thomas nodded his head. ¡°I¡¯m currently an ¡®Ancient¡¯ of the Zenith Boundary, a user of Black Magic. I¡¯m also a Geas-Bestowed of Lord Sinner. I¡¯ll tell you this much because we¡¯re comrades. I trust you not to use it against me.¡±

    As a Black Mage, it meant that Thomas had probably lost the entirety of his soul in pursuit of power. He began to realise why the attendant of the Sinner seemed so inhumane at times.

    ¡°I appreciate it.¡± Lumi¨¨re chided, laughing. ¡°To think the magic everyone demeans held such fantastical means behind it. How interesting.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re glanced back towards Thomas.

    ¡°The One of Spades card essentially acted like a ¡®skip¡¯ in obtaining power, didn¡¯t it? I¡¯ve heard mention of ¡®trials¡¯ that need to be completed in order to progress the increments of a Cursed Domain normally.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the case, yes. The fifty-two cards, both red and black, were meant to give easier access to the Cursed Domains. Of course, each time, you¡¯ll end up in Lord Sinner¡¯s labyrinth, so you¡¯re not exactly exempt from trial and tribulation. However, each time, you¡¯ll get to meet one of your predecessors. They too remain eager to meet you.¡±

    ¡®From how Gluttony spoke, Lust must be next¡­ I¡¯m not too eager to meet fellow ¡®terrible people¡¯ though¡­¡¯

    ¡°It¡¯s been interesting, watching you, Lumi¨¨re Croft. You¡¯ve chosen an interesting path, Lumi¨¨re Croft. Pretending to be a Demon in order to disguise your affiliations¡­ no Primordial Sin has ever done this much for so little gain.¡± Thomas began to laugh.

    ¡°They haven¡¯t?

    ¡°Perhaps your caution will lead you to be the first to succeed¡­ to become a Beacon.¡±

 Chapter 71: Magician and Clown

    ¡°How about a party, Lumi¨¨re?¡±

    Ainsworth and Lumi¨¨re sat at the table in the dining room of the monastery, eating at a table that had long-been replaced after the attack.

    ¡°A party? For what reason would we celebrate?¡±

    ¡°Living, perhaps.¡± Ainsworth chuckled, sipping on a cup of steaming liquid. ¡°Our comrades will be released from the cathedral¡¯s hospital ward soon. Isn¡¯t that enough reason to celebrate?¡±

    Lumi¨¨re smiled. ¡°Perhaps you¡¯re right. It¡¯s been far too long since this monastery was lively. But if it¡¯s just us and the White Roses, won¡¯t it be a little too quiet?¡±

    ¡°Then who do you suggest we invite? The criminal group you love associating with?¡±

    ¡°To start. I was thinking we could also invite the craftsmen from the Church of the Eternal Blueprint, those who serve the Lady of Architecture.¡±

    ¡°Of course, we can¡¯t forget to invite those witches and warlocks from the outlier sects outside of Leiden. They would feel left out.¡± Ainsworth jested in return.

    The two shared a laugh, relaxing for the first time in a long time. Lumi¨¨re slumped back in his chair, staring up at the ceiling as he lit a cigarette, a Callstet, the most popular branding. It was uncharacteristic of him, but it had become habit when he had time. Of course, he knew that smoking would kill him. But then again, so would his plans to take down the Phantom Syndicate, his game with the King in White, and being caught by the church for being the servant of an evil Deity. His health twenty years from that moment was the least of his worries.

    ¡°Who will you really invite?¡± Lumi¨¨re let out a chuckle, blowing a thick cloud of smoke out of his lips.

    ¡°Of course, there are some guests that we can¡¯t stop from attending. Heaven¡¯s Roses have some associates in the lower borough. I think I¡¯ll invite them.¡±

    His brow raised upwards, curious. ¡°Do we really have associates here? I imagined it was only criminals and wretches down here.¡±

    Ainsworth nodded his head. ¡°Of particular note, we have a seamstress Guild that is very particular about working out of the lower borough due to the abundance of moisture. Supposedly, the type of thread they use to sew our uniforms is very prone to drying out as it is worked. Besides them, the Church¡¯s blacksmithing Guild is responsible for making our bladed weapons.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen either of them around.¡±

    ¡°None of us have. That¡¯s because the church keeps the location of their craftsmen very secretive. Due to their nature, they also work closely with the Church of the Eternal Blueprint, and so their safety becomes doubly a concern. Because of the recent

    ¡°Why is it that the Nameless avoid the lower borough?¡±

    ¡°Those parasitic creatures want to inhabit strong, able bodies, not the weak withered forms of wretches.¡± Ainsworth explained. ¡°For that reason, it makes the lower borough a perfect hideout to protect the craftsmen from them.¡±

    ¡°So, they¡¯ll be in attendance at this party of yours?¡± Lumi¨¨re laughed. ¡°Sounds like I¡¯ll be making some new friends.¡±

    So, a few days later, when the White Roses had returned, Lumi¨¨re and Ainsworth threw a party for them at the monastery. Lumi¨¨re had been able to come up with a feasible lie pertaining to his contacts with the mercantile industry, specifically Alain Monroe, in order to get Ainsworth to accept the money he had acquired from recent ventures. So, the party was a bit more extravagant than they were used to. While Lumi¨¨re had attended many banquets in the past, invited as a magician, he had rarely been given the opportunity to enjoy them himself. So, it was a celebration for him too.

    He stood at the side of the room, sipping on a glass of bitter alcohol while smiling. It was enjoyable to see a room full of happy people. Recently, it had become a rarity.

    Ramses, whose hand was still bandaged to maintain the medical work that had been done to accommodate his lost fingers, approached Lumi¨¨re with a smile. He showed no sign of weariness, and gave off a genial and pleasant aura as he always had. Lumi¨¨re smiled in return as he approached. ¡°It¡¯s been a week, hasn¡¯t it, my friend? I¡¯m glad you¡¯ve recovered well.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think any of us would have had the chance to recover if you hadn¡¯t delayed that monster ''Asmodeus'' for so long, we surely would have perished. Did you realise that the Archangel was coming?¡±

    ¡°Not at all. I was betting on Nicole¡¯s powers doing the job. That was the whole purpose of the distraction.¡± Of course, it was a half-truth. He had suspected that someone powerful was nearby due to how the creatures around him began to act. Moreover, they had managed to send out a call for help, so Lumi¨¨re knew it was only a matter of time before someone arrived to save them.

    ¡°Ah! So that¡¯s why those creatures suddenly died! I didn¡¯t realise our little Nicole was that powerful!¡± Ramses glanced over to Nicole as he spoke, who was standing idly by a table as he enjoyed a plate of food. His gaze widened as he heard his name, and looked over towards the two inquisitively. As they saw the young boy who had been stuffing his face with food like a little mouse, they couldn¡¯t help but laugh.

    ¡°Well, we¡¯re not here to talk about sad things today, are we? It¡¯s a day of celebration!¡± Lumi¨¨re laughed. ¡°Please, enjoy yourself Ramses. There¡¯s more than enough food and drink to go around.¡±

    As he walked through the crowd of unfamiliar faces, he was stopped by Nicole, who had been talking to Midas and Cornifer, who both looked at him with faces of uncertainty. Lumi¨¨re could understand that their moods had soured towards him. After all, his plan had gotten the leader they admired killed. Ramses probably thought the same, but he was too kind to admit so outwardly, and Nicole was far too servile to his alternate identity to care of such a thing.

    As Lumi¨¨re walked past his comrades, he ruminated.

    ¡®I¡¯ve been running around constantly to keep up my lies. My wits have been stretched thin. Trying to hunt down the Phantom Syndicate, and playing the persona of ¡®Ophelia¡¯ to facilitate that¡­ playing the King in White¡¯s game, and trying to tiptoe around Heaven¡¯s Roses and Selaphiel while simultaneously being the servant of Lord Sinner¡­ my life has truly become far too complicated in the past couple months.¡¯ In the middle of the party, sipping on whatever light alcohol remained in his glass, Lumi¨¨re felt his body finally relax. For one moment, he felt he didn¡¯t have to run around keeping up his lies. ¡®For a moment, I can rest. Now that Nicole knows ¡®Lumi¨¨re Croft¡¯ is not always ¡®Ophelia¡¯, I can act normally around him. He¡¯ll just think it¡¯s a pretense to keep the secret. Why is being a liar so complicated? I¡¯m tired of thinking¡­¡¯

    He began to converse with strangers he had never even met before. Because he was wearing his attire as a White Rose, they immediately recognised his affiliation, and so weren¡¯t averse to holding conversation with him. He learned many things from the representatives of the Blacksmith¡¯s and Seamstress¡¯s Guilds. For instance, he learned that the Blacksmiths had played a part in the building of Etten-Leur so long ago, the architecture plans having been a bestowment from the Church of the Eternal Blueprint¡¯s Goddess, the Architect.

    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    Soon after, Ainsworth beckoned to him, a woman at his side.

    ¡°Lumi¨¨re, this is an associate of ours, a close friend. You must meet her, come.¡± Ainsworth smiled, leading Lumi¨¨re along through the room.

    She had dark brown curly hair that fell against her neck, with dark brown eyes that glistened like smoky quartz. Her clothes, although not entirely fanciful, were perfectly and seamlessly tailored. Of course, that much was expected of a masterful Seamtress from her Guild.

    However, contrary to Ainsworth¡¯s expectations, this was someone Lumi¨¨re had already met before. ¡°Ms. Mortan, it¡¯s a pleasure to see you once more. It¡¯s been quite a while, hasn¡¯t it?¡±

    Hauna Mortan was the daughter of a skilled Seamstress in the lower borough. It wasn¡¯t too much of a surprise to Lumi¨¨re that she was associated with the Seamstress¡¯s Guild. However, she had played a far more important role in Lumi¨¨re¡¯s life, insofar as to save it. She was the one who had sewn his intricately-woven coat of tricks. If he hadn¡¯t the hidden pockets he stored items in on the day that he first signed the Sinner¡¯s Contract and fought the Nameless creature, he may have died then and there.

    She smiled pleasantly, surprised. ¡°I¡¯m quite shocked that you would remember me after all this time, Mr. Croft. I¡¯ve been quite eager to follow up with you all this time.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m quite happy to say that your handiwork has served me well for so long, and it has held up wonderfully. There was never really a need to mend it. The material was wonderfully sewn together.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m so happy to hear that. Your piece was one I put my utmost effort into. After all, if my work is to be displayed on a stage in front of so many people, then I would have to be sure it¡¯s one of my best. Now, it seems you¡¯ve switched career paths. I¡¯m both happy and worried for you.¡±

    ¡°With the assistance we receive from your Guild, there¡¯s no need to worry.¡± Ainsworth commented from the side. ¡°We¡¯ll surely be safe with your masterful works, so don¡¯t be too anxious.¡±

    She turned to him, nervously smiling. ¡°Still, having seen those creatures at work, you¡¯ll never stray far from my heart¡¯s wishes. I¡¯ll wish upon the veridian star for your safe return every night.¡±

    Father Benedict nodded his head, repeating a familiar mantra, a prayer to the Goddess. ¡°Underneath her Crown, we find our strength.¡±

    Hauna Mortan nodded her head in agreement. She then turned back to Lumi¨¨re, parting her lips to speak out once more. However, her throat choked up in anticipation, and she responded in a meek, soft tone. ¡°Lumi¨¨re, I wonder if you wouldn¡¯t mind accompanying me to bed?¡±

    Lumi¨¨re¡¯s face flushed, and Ainsworth spit out the drink he had been sipping on.

    ¡®Did she misspeak?¡¯ As Lumi¨¨re looked over at the woman, he saw that her face welled up with embarrassment. So, he spoke out to try to calm her, but his throat choked up as well. The words he wished to speak erased themselves from his mind, new ones left in their place.

    ¡°That sounds fantastic. My room might be a little small, but we can use the Father¡¯s instead.¡± He smiled. His lips curling up felt like agony on his skin, and so he immediately understood the situation.

    ¡®Really? On a day like today, and so soon?¡¯

    Lumi¨¨re instinctively glanced upwards. Through the stained-glass window in the main hall, he could see the amused face of the King in White laughing at him from afar. He had been controlling them.

    ¡®Is this the type of game you wish to play, White? I thought we were to kill each other, not play petty tricks.¡¯ While he was annoyed, he also felt slightly amused. ¡®You¡¯re almost too clownish to be viewed as a nobleman. How hilarious is it, to be part of a battle between a magician and a clown masquerading as kings?¡¯

    Lumi¨¨re glanced over towards Father Benedict, handing him his drink. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back, Ains.¡±

    ¡°Drink a little too much, have you?¡± Father Benedict¡¯s face had warped considerably, confused by the conversation between the two. However, he had long learned never to question Lumi¨¨re¡¯s antics, and so it seemed completely normal.

    ¡°Perhaps.¡± Lumi¨¨re winked. After he had made his excuses to Ainsworth and Hauna Mortan, as well as waving off Nicole who tried to follow behind him, sensing that something was the matter, Lumi¨¨re adjourned upstairs alone. He waltzed through the hall, eventually coming to a door he used to enjoy walking past. He took a deep breath, loathe to hesitate, and stepped through. Elise¡¯s room had been cleared out prior to Meraline¡¯s arrival. However, now that the White Roses leader had also died, the room remained empty.

    Lumi¨¨re stepped through the room, opening the far window where Elise had loved to sit and reminisce, climbing out onto the slanted rooftop of the monastery. At the end of the rooftop, looking over the processions, Lumi¨¨re saw the familiar face of a King.

    ¡°White, have you grown so lonely you have to visit me only a day after we¡¯ve last met? Or have you come to kill me this time?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just sowing seeds, Black. Pay no mind to me.¡± Orion had a sinister, pleased grin on his face. ¡°However, I¡¯ll admit I did think once or twice about forcing your comrades to attack you. It would have been hilarious.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡± Lumi¨¨re sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t you know, there are some powerful people nearby. You wouldn¡¯t want to get caught. It would be doubly precarious for me if I were to seen being associated with you.¡±

    ¡°Oh, who is your friend here? Has he been invited to attend these processions?¡±

    A deep voice suddenly rang out behind them. Lumi¨¨re¡¯s body instinctively froze. He looked out of the corner of his eye, and seeing the figure behind him, his heart dropped. At the same time, Orion chuckled under his breath. He definitely didn¡¯t imagine they would have been interrupted on the rooftop. He wondered what perspective the man who interrupted them had. Did he think them suspicious colluders, or did he imagine he had intruded on some secretive love affair? Both options made him laugh.

    It was Selaphiel, the Archangel from the Church of the Crown of Thorns. While Lumi¨¨re knew he could continue to lie to the powerful being successfully, he was still very much a powerful being. Lumi¨¨re could tell he didn¡¯t equate to Thomas¡¯s power, and certainly not the Joker¡¯s, which meant that he was likely underneath the Zenith Boundary. This meant that if it truly became dangerous, and all was lost, he could call Thomas to his aid and have a reasonable chance at escaping. Of course, this would mean abandoning his identity and life with his friends. However, survival remained paramount.

    ¡®What is he doing here!?¡¯ Lumi¨¨re¡¯s thoughts began to race. ¡®Not even the Blue Roses were invited. What is an Archangel of the church doing in the lower borough!?''

    ¡°I¡¯m a friend of Lumi¨¨re¡¯s.¡± Orion smiled, immediately playing a role as if it were second nature to act. After all, at his core, he was a nobleman who often had to portray a genial appearance for the sake of his House¡¯s honour. ¡°I had an item to return to him from a prior engagement. He said that any time was fine, and so I just happened to intrude on your party. I have to offer my deepest apologies. I didn¡¯t mean to disturb you.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s strange. All of Lumi¨¨re¡¯s associates tend to be interesting people. However, to date, I¡¯ve never seen him associate with the head of a noble family.¡±

    Orion glanced at Selaphiel, a bit amused. ¡®So, he knows who I am? That makes this dance of lies quite difficult, doesn¡¯t it? I hope the career liar can play along well enough.¡¯

    Orion reached into his pocket, which to his surprise, didn¡¯t cause the man to flinch. He was expectant that anyone who proceeded with the slightest bit of caution would step back as a stranger reached into their jacket, but the man standing in front of him seemed unmoved, uncaring. It only made him enjoy the amusement of the situation that much more. When he pulled his hand out of his jacket, he was holding a black chess piece in his hand. ¡°Recently, we played a game together. This was supposed to be a token of remembrance for my dear friend, but he seemed to have forgotten it in his haste.¡± Orion tossed the chess piece over to Lumi¨¨re, who caught it and slipped it into his pocket immediately after.

    ¡°Why would I want a remembrance of my loss, dear friend?¡± Lumi¨¨re could barely contain his laughter, despite the circumstances. ¡°Did you really come all this way just to rub salt into the wound?¡±

    ¡°Oh, of course not, dear friend. In fact, I was really hoping we could play out another game. The last was really quite entertaining.¡± Orion, the same, desperately tried to keep it together. However, seeing the Archangel¡¯s faltering expression, he knew he couldn¡¯t keep joking around too much. So, he decided to reveal just a bit of his life, in hopes that it would make their friendship seem feasible. After all, the man standing before him had already revealed that he knew about his identity as a nobleman. ¡°Recently, I¡¯ve been left with some free time. You know it¡¯s that time of year when all High Noble houses gather for a conference in the capital, right?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m somewhat aware. Shouldn¡¯t that be something you attend as the head of your family?¡±

    ¡°My younger brother recently mentioned his desire to learn more about the inner workings of noble responsibility. So, this year I allowed him to go in my place. Of course, my attendants are managing the Callister estate. I¡¯ve been allowed free time to roam as I please.¡±

    Orion turned towards Selaphiel. ¡°Kind Sir, I wonder if you would like to join us? This game is best played with more than two, after all.¡±

    Selaphiel raised an eyebrow, curious. ¡°It sounds quite interesting. If you wouldn¡¯t mind having me, then I would love to join.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re looked at Orion as if he were a madman. He wondered if the nobleman truly knew who he was speaking to. He thought that someone who had already delved deep into the magical world would be able to realise the strength of the person in front of them.

    Still, a lie must be kept up. So Lumi¨¨re nodded his head.

    ¡°Let¡¯s all play a game, then.¡±

 Chapter 72: Kings first prompt

    ¡°Shall we adjourn inside, then? I know your monastery has a few rooms in the back that would be quiet and peaceful.¡± Selaphiel¡¯s gaze shifted towards Orion as he spoke.

    Orion looked towards Selaphiel with a favourable impression. ¡®Is he trying to test me right now? What an interestingly perceptive guy. If I were associated with a Demon, or one of those parasitic creatures, I would be averse to stepping on hallowed ground. Fortunately, I only contracted with Euler for an hour¡¯s time, and that should be running short soon. Still, how did he come to the assumption that I might be afraid to step inside the monastery?¡¯

    After a moment of consideration, Orion nodded his head, looking over at Lumi¨¨re as he smiled. ¡°Yes, let¡¯s go inside. I would love to see what your home is like, good friend.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re¡¯s eyebrow twitched. ¡®So, he really is starting to make fun of my conditions. Rich bastard.¡¯

    Orion¡¯s rumination continued as they made their way back inside the monastery through the window Lumi¨¨re had opened. ¡®Then, this individual who knows about me must be suspicious about Lumi¨¨re Croft. Does he suspect his heretical background? Well, for a man who seems to know things, this isn¡¯t too much of a surprise. If I were associated with another Deity, I would be hesitant to step into the monastery. Thankfully, the Callister House is known for its worship and close collaboration with the Church of the Crown of Thorns. So, he must be clearing his suspicions one by one. Me entering the church will simultaneously eliminate suspicion of my association with Euler. It¡¯s perfectly feasible for me to do this much. Now, as for the game¡­¡¯

    Walking through the halls of the monastery, they eventually came to a room beside the bathroom used for general storage. In recent days, it had been used for Elise¡¯s belongings. Besides the dust and cobwebs that littered the dim, shoddy atmosphere, it was generally spacious.

    ¡°You two are quite strange, leading me into a room like this. Are you planning to take advantage of me? Rob me perhaps?¡±

    ¡°We would never do something like that to a man of the cloth.¡± Orion joked.

    ¡°So if I weren¡¯t clad in these robes, you would consider it?¡±

    Instead of responding, Orion simply winked in return.

    Slightly annoyed that Orion had led him into such an ordeal, he asked with a deep tone of voice. ¡°So, what game do you wish to play this time, dear friend?¡±

    Curious, Selaphiel also looked towards Orion.

    The fiery-haired nobleman smiled, raising up his hands in a boisterous fashion and declared, ¡°we¡¯ll be telling each other stories!¡± He looked back towards the other two, but they seemed to be a mixture of confused, disappointed, and disgusted.

    ¡°You¡¯re a clown.¡± Lumi¨¨re chided, horrified.

    ¡°I too think your friend may be missing a few parts of his brain, I apologise.¡± Selaphiel had the same twisted expression on his face.

    ¡°What, why are you two looking at me that way?¡±

    ¡°I just¡­ thought you would have something more spectacular planned. You made it out to be enticing¡­ a game of stakes perhaps.¡±

    ¡°Would you feel better betting money on it?¡± Orion tried to plead towards him, desperate for approval, but the Archangel and Heretic gave no ground.

    ¡°Sorry, but I¡¯m a destitute churchgoer.¡± Lumi¨¨re shrugged. ¡°How could I afford to stake money?¡±

    Orion looked towards Selaphiel, but his answer was the same. ¡°I¡¯m a man of the cloth. I seek no coin, and so I carry no coin.¡±

    Disappointed, embarrassed, and saddened, Orion bowed his head. The two looked at each other, and then back at Orion. Staring at the Clown, Lumi¨¨re felt a little pity stir in his heart. So, he sighed and spoke out, ¡°I¡¯ll play your game, dear friend.¡±

    ¡°And I will too. Storytelling doesn¡¯t sound so bad.¡±

    Hearing their comforts, Orion immediately perked up. A grin made its way onto his face once again. ¡°Then, shall I discuss the rules of the game?¡±

    The two nodded their heads, staring at Orion intently. Noticing their focused gazes, his face flushed a little, but he began to explain the rules of the game nonchalantly.

    ¡°I will start with a prompt, the beginning of a story. In order, it will be our subsequent jobs to continue the story, solve problems presented by the previous individual, and bring it to a conclusion in the end. That¡¯s about it.¡±

    ¡°And you wanted to stake money on this?¡± Lumi¨¨re questioned.

    Orion sighed. ¡°You just can¡¯t grasp my intense genius, can you, dear friend? So, are you both ready to begin?¡±

    The two nodded once more. Then, Orion began to speak. ¡°There is a small boy that lives with his parents and younger brother on the lakeside. In the middle of the forest, they stay far apart from society. They do not fear monsters, nor bears or wolves. For some reason, they never stray too close to their home. Each day, the boy makes his way to the lake in order to catch fish for his family to eat. This is one of his necessary tasks.¡±

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    Orion took a moment to breath, before continuing. ¡°One day, it becomes obvious why the monsters, bears, and wolves choose not to stray too far to their home. On that day, when bringing home fresh catch for his family to eat, the small boy wanders in on his younger brother, standing over the bodies of his parents. However, when he sees the face of his brother, he realises that he is no sibling to him. It is a monster incomprehensible. Its eyes are where its mouth should be, and where its eyes should be are several mouths. Its flesh more closely resembles molded clay, and its bones protrude like thick spines. Upon closer inspection of the bodies of his parents, the boy realises his mother is still breathing, albeit very shakily. What does the boy do, Lumi¨¨re?¡±

    Lumi¨¨re¡¯s heart froze, realising Orion¡¯s scheme. ¡®This bastard. He proposed this game and its order with a true purpose in mind. In the way that the turns rotate, I will always follow White, and will never be able to directly propose a scenario to him. He¡¯s using this ¡®story¡¯ to see what actions I would wish to take in an event like this. It was always his plan to use this to test and study me. Should I comply, or fake my answers? Would he think that I would think to fake them? This is a precarious situation¡­ for now, I¡¯ll give a very general answer and see what that Archangel will follow up with.¡¯

    "The boy fights with what wits remain. He throws the fish he caught previously towards the beast, and as it distracts itself with the food, he tries to drag his mother out of the house-"

    "He''s interrupted by the beast." Selaphiel interjected. "To this creature, a few fish is a single bite, an instantaneous meal."

    Orion nodded his head. "The beast, having finished the fish, charges at the boy."

    "He''s an experienced fisherman. Of course he carries a blade to end the fish''s life and remove the hook." Lumi¨¨re countered.

    "But that blade is small, as the fish are small. The creature is three-times as large as him." Selaphiel smiled coyly.

    "The boy considers giving up, dying alongside his family." Orion eyed Lumi¨¨re as he spoke.

    Lumi¨¨re bit at his lip, aggravated. It truly felt like he was in a fight against the two as they colluded. It was annoying, and so he had to submit. "He abandons his mother and runs. He''s a child. His courage can only withstand so much."

    "He hears her scream and cry out in pain as she''s mauled by the mysterious creature."

    Orion let out a chuckle. "He''s shaken by hearing his mother be killed, and so the forest he quickly becomes lost in no longer seems safe. Where there were once no monsters, wolves, or bears, there are suddenly thousands of invisible threats in the darkness. The world itself has become a visible danger."

    "It''s not the boy''s first time getting lost in the forest." Lumi¨¨re objected. "He''s spent his entire life there, and of course at times he''s had to venture farther and farther to gather food and fish. He knows that if he wanders in one direction, he''s bound to make it out of the forest eventually."

    "And so soon, he sees a light in the darkness. Thousands of flickering flames signal hope."

    Orion let out an audible ''tsk''. He had been so deadset on leading the boy''s fate to tragedy, yet Lumi¨¨re seemed keen to do the opposite. It was a foolish battle of wits, a war of imagination.

    He continued the story as normal. "The boy makes his way towards the light, discovering a town at the edge of the forest. The people there don''t speak his language, and he''s never interacted with anyone besides his family members. Still, the sight of a young boy drenched in blood is enough to move their hearts. They take him in worriedly, clothing and feeding him. He feels safe, less scared."

    Lumi¨¨re smiled. ''Is White messing with me once more? Why is he giving the boy a semblance of hope?''

    "The boy grows comfortable overnight, and begins to imagine that he can start a new life within the village-"

    "But soon after, the creature returns." Selaphiel interjected once more, grinning. "In the form of his younger brother, the young boy watches as the creature speaks in the village people''s language perfectly, informing them of his sick, sadistic deeds. The creature tells the people of a boy who murdered his entire family, who drenched in blood, wandered out of the forest to do the same to the townspeople."

    ''What is this Archangel doing? Is he feeling feisty today, or is he trying to test me as well?'' Lumi¨¨re''s brows furrowed.

    ¡°They begin to fear and hate the boy, believing the lies of the creature who stole the face of his sibling. Before he knew it, their acceptance had turned into vitriol, and they violently ran him out of the town. He¡¯s cornered before them, realising that all the people he once loved have now died, and his only hope for the future has collapsed. Everyone hates him. The world is against him. He has no family, home, and future. He is lost and hopeless, and he will soon be killed. What does he do, faced with the horror of his reality?" Orion looked towards Lumi¨¨re, his pleasure evident on his face.

    Lumi¨¨re smirked, letting out a sharp ¡®tsk¡¯. ¡°The boy knows fate is cruel and merciless. So, he accepts that much, and chooses to spit in its face.¡± He looked towards Orion, fire in his eyes. ¡°Let them come, do their worst. He¡¯ll accept the worlds hatred.¡±

    ''You''re an interesting one, Black. I''ve learned that you''re quite competitive. You''ll play this game of ours very well in the future. Moreover, you wouldn''t let the child sit down and accept his reality, rather trying his hardest to deny his strongest foes. I wonder, to what great extent will you fight our battle?''

    Standoffish, Orion spoke once more. "Very good. I think you both performed considerably. It was a very fun endeavour. Shall we do another?"

    Selaphiel nodded his head. "That was quite fun. I haven''t been able to enjoy myself creatively in quite a while. I would be happy to partake in another."

    "I would also be happy to do another." Lumi¨¨re''s tone of voice shifted, dastard and cunning. "However, to prevent the game from getting stale..."

    He stared at Orion, grinning.

    "...let''s reverse the turn order."

 Chapter 73: Magicians second prompt

    ¡°You want to reverse the turn order?¡± Orion¡¯s eyebrow twitched. Of course, he had suspected the possibility that Lumi¨¨re would suggest such a thing. However, he had realised early on in the game that Lumi¨¨re had caught on to him. Moreover, in his urge to win over Lumi¨¨re, he had forgotten to test him to a larger extent. His competitive itch had overtaken him.

    However, what Orion didn¡¯t yet realise is that Lumi¨¨re¡¯s competitiveness had also reared its head. ¡°I do. Will this be a problem?¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯s a wonderful idea.¡± Selaphiel looked towards Lumi¨¨re. ¡®It seems that Mr. Callister was intentionally prodding Lumi¨¨re¡¯s personality traits. But why? I assisted him while playing the game to try and find out what motives he had, but I still couldn¡¯t realise them. Should I try and assist Lumi¨¨re Croft in this game in order to see what happens? Whatever may truly be going on, it¡¯s clear that my suspicion of Lumi¨¨re was correct. However, I can¡¯t outwardly do anything about it¡­¡¯

    ¡°Then, perhaps you should begin this time, dear friend.¡± Orion winked, slightly annoyed behind his genial demeanor.

    Lumi¨¨re nodded his head. It only made sense. ¡®Since White was trying to test me initially, I wonder what he managed to grasp? I lost my composure in the middle of the story. That was my main mistake. This time, I¡¯ll try to turn it on him.¡¯

    He began to speak.

    ¡°There¡¯s a man in the middle of a city named ¡®London¡¯, a man named ¡®Lain¡¯.¡± Lumi¨¨re¡¯s grin became evident as he spoke. ¡°He has a brooding, calm aura, yet simultaneously gives off a sense of unhinged madness. He¡¯s a detective in London, but also its worst vigilante. He is cruel, cunning, and malicious. His kindness is a facade. One night, he stands before a building where his next target, a serial murderer, is hiding out.¡±

    Orion¡¯s excitement became evident. ¡®Is he talking about ¡®Secret of the Conductor¡¯ by that one author? I¡¯ve read it so many times as a child- to think Black would know of this novel. Suddenly, many things have begun to make sense. But why is he bringing it up now as a story prompt? This scenario definitely wasn¡¯t included in the story¡­¡¯

    Because it was Orion¡¯s turn, he continued the prompt. ¡°Lain, knowing of the man¡¯s danger, proceeds to the rooftop. He scales the iron piping plastered against the side of the building until he reaches its greatest height. He breaks in through the rooftop entrance, picking the lock and entering discreetly. From a balcony, he descends onto the first floor. In front of him lies the murderer.¡±

    ¡°Staring at the murderer, he almost wants to ask what would bring a man to kill for no reason. Still, he knows it himself why one would do so. There¡¯s only one option for Lain. He raises his gun towards the murderer, ready to complete his task.¡± Selaphiel continued.

    ¡°Soon, Lain begins to realise his mistake. The building the serial murderer was hiding in was a children¡¯s hospital, and he paid no mind to it. The murderer grabs a young girl from beside him, ducking behind her while holding her hostage.¡± Lumi¨¨re posed the scenario carefully. Orion¡¯s lack of care for others was already known. However, to what extent that stretched, especially regarding children, was something Lumi¨¨re wished to know. After all, he retained control of Nicole. If the boy had to be used for the sake of victory, it was at his discretion to do so.

    ¡°Lain shoots. A can of oil the murderer had prepared to burn down the hospital, with the bodies alongside it, drops to the ground and covers the floor in thick residue.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re¡¯s eyebrow twitched. ¡®Of course, Lain in ¡®Secret of the Conductor¡¯ is a reckless, ruthless individual. That¡¯s why I initially picked him as the persona to portray on the commission with Shylock, Laertes, and Lysander. Still, with no hesitation, he leads the character to murder a child. I shouldn¡¯t be surprised, and it¡¯s definitely indicative of who he is as a person. After all, he has held genuine hostages in the past, thinking they would be effective against me. If you¡¯re choosing to twist this story in a ¡®ruthless¡¯ direction, then I¡¯ll just kill off the main character.¡¯

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    His turn once more, Selaphiel pondered his options for a second, before choosing a general path. He wanted to observe the two in action for a bit longer, and so he made no ¡®determining¡¯ moves. ¡°Lain secures the room. He pulls furniture in front of the door that leads to the rest of the hospital, leaving only the front entrance on the first floor.¡±

    ¡®The Archangel is not pushing for much. Is he observing us, using very blank progressions of the story to stall out time? Well, it was a given that he would figure out something, as White was stupid to suggest this in the first place. But, the lie must be retained.¡¯ Lumi¨¨re jested in his head.

    ¡°Police, given time to gather, stand outside of the hospital. Having been confused for the murderer himself, Lain is seen as a hostage-taker. There are no longer any exits for him. ¡±

    ¡°He pulls out his gun. He must kill them all.¡± Orion smirked.

    ¡°The police are delaying themselves, too scared to challenge the presumed-murderer, simultaneously fearing for his retaliation towards any hostages were they to prod him too harshly.¡± Selaphiel continued his laid-back progression, smiling as he observed the two. So, Lumi¨¨re pushed further. He knew it was his opportunity.

    ¡°Holding firearms pointed towards the room he¡¯s been spotted in, the police prepare to enter the building. Of course, as a detective, Lain has come from a long-line of law officials. His younger brother, a police officer, is seen at the scene. He is the first to approach the building, making his way inside.¡± As Lumi¨¨re continued to speak, Orion¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°The brother first spots the dead child, and then the murderer that Lain originally killed. Then, he sees Lain. Lain sees his younger brother pointing a gun at him, and raises his own gun.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s too dark to see. How could he know it¡¯s his younger brother?¡± Orion¡¯s gaze darkened slightly.

    ¡°Does he shoot?¡± Lumi¨¨re replied, smirking.

    Orion gritted his teeth. ¡®Fuck. I hate you, Black. That¡¯s dirty. He¡¯s trying to allude to Pandora indirectly, isn¡¯t he? Shouldn¡¯t I just say that Lain shoots without hesitation? It seems too wrong to say, taking Lain¡¯s perspective. Fuck. He really got me here. But if I don¡¯t say it, I¡¯ll lose to Black¡­¡¯ After a moment of silence, Orion continued.

    ¡°He shoots the light on the ceiling, and sparks erupt from the exposed filament. The sparks catch alight on the residue of the oil. Flame quickly spreads. In the darkness, Lain sees that the policeman pointing the gun at him is in fact, his younger brother, and decides not to shoot him.¡±

    ¡®Was this why White initially spoke of the poured oil? Did he prepare an out for himself from the very start? He anticipated me trying something, and he gave himself a solution that could be creatively molded in many ways as an escape. What a sly fellow.¡¯ Lumi¨¨re mused. ¡®However, I¡¯ve already found a key weakness of yours. It was your mistake to mention your brother when covering for us with Selaphiel. I wasn¡¯t sure if the responsibility you gave to your younger brother equated to trust, or even love, but your slip-up there was definitely real, and it was definitely a mistake. Even if you escape, I¡¯ve already won, White. Now, what will the Archangel choose to say?''

    Selaphiel smiled deviously. It was completely uncharacteristic of him. It made Lumi¨¨re¡¯s entire body shiver, more than he had when Thomas Hawthorne¡¯s smile had curled up inhumanely. Then, in a deep tone of voice, he spoke.

    ¡°Still, having heard a gunshot come from the hospital¡¯s interior, the younger brother¡¯s fellow policemen enter the building, where they find Lain at the end of the room, holding a gun. They promptly raise theirs, and shoot him dead.¡± When the two stared into the Archangel¡¯s eyes, they saw true, malicious satisfaction.

    ¡®What? Why did Selaphiel suddenly switch to my side?¡¯  Lumiere wondered, shocked. ''I won with his help...''

    As Selaphiel looked towards the two, he laughed quietly. ¡®Did I surprise you, Lumi¨¨re Croft? You must be wondering why I chose to assist you in this obvious battle, now. Will you think I¡¯ve discovered something about you? Of course, you won¡¯t make it obvious that you know this. I know you¡¯re smarter than that.¡¯

    ¡°That was quite fun. However, I find myself wanting more. How about a final game, you two? I have a unique suggestion for this one.¡± The Archangel spoke out in a gentle, cunning tone of voice.

    Selaphiel let out a chuckle, before continuing.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you both answer my prompts?¡±

 Chapter 74: Archangels third prompt

    ¡°Answer your prompts? How would that work?¡± Lumi¨¨re questioned, raising his eyebrow. Orion too, seemed confused, yet intrigued.

    ¡°It¡¯s simple. I will start the prompt of the story game. Then, it will be Mr. Croft¡¯s turn to follow it up. Then, I will continue it afterwards. Then, it will be Mr. Callister¡¯s turn. You see, in this way, it always comes back to me before going to the other person. Shouldn¡¯t this be interesting?¡± Selaphiel smiled.

    ¡®Basically, he¡¯s saying he wants a turn to probe us for information. He has discovered the true meaning of our little game.¡¯ Orion mused, entertained. ¡®Then, try your hardest.¡¯

    At the same time, Lumi¨¨re chided in his mind. ¡®Oh Archangel, does your strength not accompany intelligence? How will you be able to pry information out of us when we¡¯ve become guarded? I hope to find out.¡¯

    ¡°Very well.¡± The two tacitly agreed to the change in the game, and after a moment of thought, Selaphiel began to speak.

    ¡°Long ago, etched into the stars in an ancient, forgotten language, was a prophecy. It foretold of the world¡¯s convergence with calamity, bringing about the end of humanity. A mortal scholar and an immortal emissary witness this prophecy, and learn of the two trials that one must undergo to prevent calamity. However, this information can also be sold to a high bidder, and those involved can begin to live a very lucrative lifestyle. Consider yourself the mortal scholar, Mr. Croft. Mr. Callister, please be the immortal emissary.¡±

    ¡®He¡¯s assigning us characters? What an interesting fellow.'' Orion mused. However, Lumi¨¨re did not feel the same.

    ¡®What could this Archangel be planning now?¡¯

    Selaphiel continued. ¡°She, the mortal scholar, wishes to sell the information and gain wealth. He, the immortal emissary, wishes to undergo the trials and save humanity with his own hands. However, given enough curiosity, the mortal scholar manages to decipher part of the prophecy and locate the first trial.¡±

    ¡°Of course, she keeps the information to herself.¡± Lumi¨¨re had decided to stick with the theme of the character. Of course, it was the antithesis of what he would choose to do. He thought that this would be able to mask the truth of his character, but he also knew that Selaphiel would assume that much. Of course, there was also the chance that Selaphiel had used the personality of that character to set a trap for him in advance. Still, he wasn¡¯t going to adhere solely to the theme of Selaphiel¡¯s story. ¡°However, she offers the emissary a deal. If he can pay her the necessary amount of money, she will give him, and only him, the location to the next trial.¡±

    Selaphiel¡¯s eyes widened. ¡®Witty, aren¡¯t you?¡¯

    ¡°Then-¡° Selaphiel began to speak, but he was quickly interrupted.

    ¡°The immortal emissary accepts the offer.¡± Orion grinned. ¡°Of course, after such a long life, the emissary would have accrued such a grand wealth. Such a price is easily affordable.¡±

    Before Selaphiel could continue, Lumi¨¨re interjected. ¡°For an even larger sum, the scholar mentions that she wouldn¡¯t mind joining the clearing of the trials alongside the emissary.¡±

    ¡°The emissary accepts.¡± Orion spoke without hesitation. Through their gazes, Lumi¨¨re and Orion had tacitly agreed to cooperate in order to deny Selaphiel his plot. Of course, it was a laughable endeavour, even though the meaning behind it threatened their very lives.

    Selaphiel loudly cleared his throat.

    ¡°Then, the scholar and emissary have decided to join forces in order to clear the trials. Of course, the first trial is nothing to scoff at. In a tower that pierces through the deepest, darkest abyss, a warden guards the pool of shadow that threatens to break free and destroy the world. Only when the warden opens up the heavens, and casts light onto the shadows, would the world be saved.¡±

    ¡°We make our way into the tower.¡± Lumi¨¨re scoffed. ¡°After a perilous climb, the warden is confronted.¡±

    ¡°He speaks. He says ¡®Your timing is quite comedic. I¡¯ve been waiting for several eternities for someone to come convince me to vanquish these shadows. How hilarious that you choose to do so only when it benefits you the most.¡¯.¡±

    ¡°The emissary replies. ¡®Why must we convince you to destroy such a danger?¡¯.¡±

    ¡°The warden scoffs at the question, as if it were obvious enough. ¡®These shadows are my children. What father would willingly kill his children?¡¯.¡±

    ¡°But he wishes for someone to convince him to kill his own children. Why would he simultaneously have apprehension to do so?¡± Lumi¨¨re questioned.

    Selaphiel shrugged. ¡°Perhaps he loves them, yet still accepts they¡¯re a threat.¡±

    ¡°Such a foolish person cannot be reasoned with. The emissary attempts to kill the shadows, running up towards the rooftops of the tower, where light seeks to pierce through.¡± Orion immediately realised he should have spoke more definitively.

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    ¡°The warden disagrees with his poor choice, growing angered, grasping the emissary in his hand. Holding him up, the emissary hangs over the edge of the abyss. To any mortal, falling in would certainly spell death. For an immortal who cannot die, falling in spells eternal tragedy. Until by some strange method in which the abyss collapses, an infinite number of infinities in the future, the emissary would be forever trapped in the darkness, suffering from loneliness and despair. However, the warden offers the scholar a choice. She can take his place and die in the abyss."

    ¡®Is there any reason for Black to take this offer? What could this possibly serve to do?¡¯ Orion pondered. ¡®I should have spoken as if it was an inevitable success to backstab the warden, but I was too lax in my language. What were all those proper language classes I took as a child for if I make simple mistakes like this?¡¯

    Lumi¨¨re had already grasped the meaning behind the Archangel¡¯s plot.

    ¡®He¡¯s saying I can save the emissary. He¡¯s offering me an out. If I die, the game is over for me. He¡¯s saying that right now, I can avoid his attempts to get information from me, and leave White to face it himself. However, in doing so, I will certainly reveal that I fear his attempts, and have definitively realised that he¡¯s doing so.¡¯ Lumi¨¨re¡¯s thoughts raced. ¡®What a cunning bastard¡­¡¯

    ¡°The scholar calls out to the warden. ¡®Two beings are calling for the death of the shadows, in comparison to you, a singular being. Does this not outweigh your choice?''."

    ¡°The Warden replies. ¡®Are you equating me to you, a mortal?¡¯.¡±

    ¡°¡¯When existence dies out, and everything turns into nothingness, will we still be inequivalent? Won¡¯t then, we all be equal as all things are nothing? If it is an inevitability, then where is the inequality? For even those that transcend mortality, all things are doomed to die.¡¯.¡±

    ¡°The Warden laughs. ¡®Perhaps you¡¯ve made a good point. Then, since your wills outmatch mine, I, a father, will kill his children. Watch as I do, and feel my sadness.¡¯. The Warden stood up from where he had been sitting, reaching his giant hand forward to set the emissary down, before grasping upwards at the giant seal above, shattering it. Light spills into the tower, casting the shadows away. Endless, agonising shrieks echo, and calamity dissipates. The first trial had been cleared.¡±

    ¡®It¡¯s interesting, how Lumi¨¨re Croft tries to twist the situation, no matter what he¡¯s up against. Even I heard the stories of what he did when facing that traitor, Asmodeus. To challenge such a powerful monster to a game of cards¡­ he knows his weaknesses, and is still ready to compensate for them through cunning means. Let¡¯s see if we can¡¯t uncover what makes him lose his calm¡­¡¯

    ¡°After leaving the tower, the scholar attempts to decode the location of the second trial, and succeeds in doing so. What will she do?¡±

    ¡°It was quite fun, and she has already made a considerable fortune. She decides not to share the information with the emissary.¡± Lumi¨¨re had decided to end the game short. By his own means, it wouldn¡¯t be seen as running away. If he had taken the Archangel¡¯s way out, it would have definitely revealed something about himself.

    ¡°Come on, that¡¯s no fun. If we don¡¯t save the world, so many will suffer.¡± Orion chided.

    ¡®What? Why is White trying to continue? Does he want to continue to be probed by Selaphiel? No¡­ that can¡¯t be it. That trial was considered a loss for him. He acted too brazenly. Has he abandoned his caution in order to appease his lust for victory? I didn¡¯t think even he would go that far. It seems I misjudged him. However, because this ¡®game¡¯ is supposed to be friendly, I can¡¯t act like I¡¯m satisfied with ruining their fun¡­¡¯

    ¡°Then, the scholar chooses to share the information.¡±

    Selaphiel smiled, plotting. ¡°The trial is a dungeon of memories. In going forward, the participant will experience their darkest past, and the horrors that haunt them.¡±

    ¡°The emissary and the scholar make their way into the dungeon.¡± Orion continued the story generally.

    ¡°They meet a woman in the darkness. She is clearly a monster, but at the same time, she resembles a human. With each instance, they can see two of her, but only one of her. It is as if she is a falsity, but also truth. She is there, and she is not. The monster is grey and flesh-like, covered in a thick viscous liquid that drenches the floor in a putrid stench. But the woman she pretends to be is elderly, infirm, incapable of moving. She resembles the scholar¡¯s mother.¡±

    Hearing this, Lumi¨¨re¡¯s heart dropped. ¡®So, this is why you gave me an out, and I was a fool not to take it. I¡¯m a good liar, but can I even lie correctly in this scenario? He¡¯s trying to prod me by using an image of my mother to fool me. Killing the monster in the story with a clear head would surely be seen as a lie, as if I don¡¯t even hesitate to think about my own mother in real life. He¡¯s testing me now. I either lie, or confirm my weakness. What a bastard.¡¯

    ¡°Is the monster attacking us?¡± Lumi¨¨re gritted his teeth.

    "Will you kill your mother? Elderly, infirm?" Selaphiel grinned, prodding Lumi¨¨re.

    He had already hesitated too long. Orion had noticed his apprehensiveness, and coupled with his prodding in their first meeting, he immediately came to a conclusion. Lumi¨¨re¡¯s weakness was definitely his mother.

    ¡°The emissary kills the monster without hesitation. It¡¯s just a mimic, a falsehood.¡± Orion laughed.

    ''Oh? Suddenly the nobleman is quite responsive. Was he excited by that last dalliance? So it''s true. They really have been trying to confirm each other''s weaknesses, his being his brother, and Lumi¨¨re''s being his mother. I had my suspicions about their supposed ''friendship'', but this definitely proves it false. They are truly enemies. But why does Lumi¨¨re Croft have enemies? Is it related to the danger that follows him?'' Selaphiel considered the motives of the nobleman, and the strangeness that surrounded the magician. ¡®Even now, why would his enemy suddenly appear? Did he plan to kill Lumi¨¨re Croft? But why would he have done it himself, and with what methods? One thing is certain, he has an ego that leads him to move forward with his own plans, and he gains immense pleasure from victory using his wits. He¡¯s a thrill-seeker. I¡¯ll have to watch out for this man in the future. He may be hiding some power that threatens the church, or might be plotting something that uses his vast wealth and command of noble soldiers.¡¯

    While Lumi¨¨re didn¡¯t show it, he felt an anger in his chest that he couldn¡¯t seem to quench. ¡®That bastard. Of course, I know the two of them have done research on my background, but still¡­ this is the one thing I can¡¯t seem to resolve within myself. It truly is a weakness. Fuck.¡¯ He had to curse, because he had no other way to calm himself.

    Lumi¨¨re¡¯s mother was his heart¡¯s burden.

 Chapter 75: Goodbye, Mother

    ¡°It was a fun game, but I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s time for me to take my leave.¡± Orion smiled genially, speaking to Lumi¨¨re and Selaphiel alike.

    Selaphiel smiled in turn, his a bit more devious, and replied. ¡°It was nice to meet you, friend of Mr. Croft. I hope your brother is faring well in the Capital.¡±

    Orion¡¯s eyebrow twitched. ¡®This person¡­ if he wasn¡¯t so strong, and killing him wouldn¡¯t threaten to unravel our game¡­¡¯

    He abandoned his thoughts, bowing towards the two regally before stepping backwards through the storeroom¡¯s door, disappearing into the darkness of the hall.

    After the King in White had taken his leave, Lumi¨¨re turned towards Selaphiel, curious. ¡°Why did you appear so suddenly here, Mr. Archangel? Of course, you¡¯re welcome to go as you please, and you¡¯re certainly invited to join the festivities, but I didn¡¯t imagine it would be an event someone as revered as you would be interested in.¡±

    ¡°Do you think the praise of others who belove the Goddess elevates me? It is in fact my strength that brings me to such a high position. When it comes to the scripture of the Goddess, I will never once be mentioned. While I take the title of ¡®Archangel¡¯, being the strongest in Heaven¡¯s Roses, I am not nearly as powerful as her true beloved. Those are the people who should be truly revered as her angels and saints.¡±

    Selaphiel¡¯s eyes softened, and he reached into his pocket. ¡°The reason I came here initially is because I apprehended a mailman who turned out to be a low-ranking Nameless. Quite an easy task. However, that leaves the mail undelivered.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve been delivering mail in his stead?¡± Lumi¨¨re looked at the Archangel with disbelief, letting out a humoured scoff.

    Selaphiel shrugged. ¡°Until another Nameless appears, it¡¯s not like I¡¯ve got anything better to do. Regardless, the creature was carrying a letter addressed to you. It¡¯s from the care home in the housing district of the middle borough. How someone like you managed to get your decrepit mother into such a nice place is quite interesting.¡±

    ¡°Are you insulting my mother before me?¡± Lumi¨¨re¡¯s eyebrow twitched, accepting the letter that Selaphiel had pulled from his pocket.

    ¡°It¡¯s just the truth, Mr. Croft. There¡¯s nothing insulting about reality if you choose not to view it that way.¡±

    He turned away from Lumi¨¨re, opening the door that Orion had walked out of and stepped into the hall. ¡°I¡¯ll figure out what¡¯s so interesting about you, Lumi¨¨re Croft. If it turns out to be a threat to our Goddess¡¯s grace, I¡¯ll kill you myself.¡±

    Without another word, he too disappeared into the darkness.

    Lumi¨¨re let out an audible ¡®tsk¡¯. ¡®The day you try is the day I finally call for Thomas¡¯s assistance. I hope that day is never.¡¯

    He looked down towards the letter in his hands. ¡®If they¡¯re sending me a letter, has something happened? I¡¯m aware that the care home likes to send letters that resemble their patient¡¯s handwriting to their kids on their birthdays, but my birthday has long-passed¡­ and my mother would never send me a letter of her own volition. She can barely remember that I even exist. Has something gone wrong?¡¯

    He opened the letter, brushing his finger against the sharp edge of the paper. It cut into the flesh of his thumb, staining the parchment in bright crimson. He winced, afterwards ignoring his pain as if nothing had happened at all. Still, his senses bit at him. Sometimes, he couldn¡¯t turn off his blood tracking ability, as if it had become his natural instinct. He sighed, glancing over the first few lines of the letter. His brows furrowed, and he dropped the letter to the ground.

    As it fell, it settled on the floor, text dimly revealed underneath the faint lamplight.

    ¡ª¡ª To Mr. Lumi¨¨re Cassidy Croft, or whomever else it may concern, we are writing to you regretfully to inform you that the patient known as ¡®Collette Soleil Croft¡¯ has entered the late stages of her illness. It is quite possible she may not live another day. ¡ª¡ª

    He ran through the hall of the monastery, picking up his hat as he went, dashing down the stairs that led to the main hall. As the partygoers heard the commotion, their gazes snapped to the man who seemed too eager to depart that he forgot his basic manners. To the White Roses and Ainsworth, however, this sight was alarming. Lumi¨¨re Croft wasn¡¯t the type of person to draw attention to himself in a social gathering, and he certainly wasn¡¯t the type to place so much weight on a matter to move as fast as he was. Nicole, Ramses, Midas, and Cornifer all exchanged worried glances. However, Ainsworth quickly dismissed their worries, wary of escalating alarm. After a moment of confusion, the party¡¯s mood returned to normal, and the White Roses dismissed themselves upstairs, eager to investigate.

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    Lumi¨¨re, keen on reaching his destination as quick as possible, had transmuted and absorbed the momentary fear that had occurred from the shock of the partygoers, temporarily enhancing his physical movement to a minor degree. Then, he pulled a Crown of Thorns necklace from his pocket, which he had started to keep on him in case of an incident. He used his ¡®illusory murmurs¡¯ ability to convince himself he was ¡®Lain¡¯ once more, this time to a minor degree, retaining his lucidity, and broke the necklace in his hands. Activating his ¡®blaspheming¡¯ ability, he gained a temporary enhancement to his physicality once more, increasing his running speed. His ¡®Lain¡¯ persona immediately became corrupted by a sudden surge of madness, and he was forced to abandon it to the back of his mind, becoming ¡®Lumi¨¨re Croft¡¯ once more.

    ¡®That Archangel¡­ was this a slight towards me? Was withholding the letter and playing along with the game all an attempt to ruin me? Damn it, I should have checked in earlier¡­ please don¡¯t be too late.¡¯

    He ran through Cobbler¡¯s Street, quickly reaching the flowering staircase that led up to the middle borough. Then, running with his full speed through the night, he hopped over a stall, crashing against the ground and rolling before continuing once more. He kept to the shadows when possible, wary of alerting the Peacekeepers that patrolled through the night. It was likely he could come up with a feasible explanation for his strange behaviour, but he did not want to be stopped.

    He ran through the entertainment district, all the way down Orulinde Street, before reaching the housing district fifteen minutes later. On a corner bursting with flora, a large building lined by intricate marble pillars sat quietly, aware of its insignificance in the face of many other ornate buildings.

    He snuck through the shadows of the building, where one attendant sat at the entrance, keeping watch. He climbed up the thick steaming outer pipes on the wall, singeing the skin on his palms, ignorant of his pain. Eventually, he arrived on the rooftop, where he walked to a familiar veranda he had visited many times before.

    Before entering the room through the outer door, he cast the room ahead in illusory murmurs that mimicked the common sounds of the night, masking the sound of the door and his approaching footsteps. The room was akin to a normal bedroom, but several medical appliances littered the tabletops on either side of the bed in the middle of the room. As he looked upon the withered woman who slept peacefully in the bed, her breaths shallow, he smiled nostalgically.

    ¡°Why can¡¯t I ever find you in good health, mother?¡± Lumi¨¨re mused under his breath. ¡°If I could remember anything about Father¡­ would he hate seeing you like this? Why must your mind kill you quicker than your age¡­?¡±

    Lumi¨¨re¡¯s father had long-died to some strange illness that Lumi¨¨re had been too young to remember. Unfortunately, along with the illness, all memories of his face, personality, and demeanor had disappeared. He recalled nothing of the man.

    However, staring at a framed picture beside her bed, he saw the warm smile of a hazy face. Was that his father? Why couldn¡¯t he see him clearly? And why was that image so familiar?

    As he stood next to the bed, the woman lying within it gradually opened her eyes, her eyelids fluttering. Her vision was hazy, but she saw the outline of Lumi¨¨re standing beside her. Yet, she did not fear. Her cracked lips smiled wearily, and she spoke in a hoarse, hushed tone.

    ¡°Olivier, I¡¯ve missed you all this time. Lumi¨¨re won¡¯t stop asking when you¡¯ll come home. How will I tell him¡­?¡± Her voice cracked with each word, and she seemed unaware of her surroundings.

    Hearing her words, Lumi¨¨re¡¯s gaze shook, and his heart sank. He remembered then the name of his father - Olivier Croft. A man with a warm smile that would bathe others in its joy. His memories felt estranged from himself. He couldn¡¯t tell what was truly real.

    ¡°Olivier, I didn¡¯t take him to your funeral¡­ I couldn¡¯t bear his sadness at the same time as mine¡­ I met your brother. I told him of our son, Olivier. He was so excited to hear he has a nephew¡­¡± She coughed, her voice faltering further.

    ¡®Nephew? I have an uncle? Is this one of your delusions, mother? You never spoke of such a thing¡­ could you not remember this as well¡­?¡¯

    Ignoring the revelation, Lumi¨¨re placed a hand against his face. Writhing silver flames burst out from his skin, but they did not pain him. His flesh gradually became overlaid by a mask- another face, a man he could barely recall. His countenance was blurry, but his smile was obvious. It was warm.

    As Lumi¨¨re¡¯s mother gazed at him through her hazy vision, she could feel his joy. It was contagious. She smiled, and tears fell from her eyes. ¡°Oh¡­ Olivier. It really is you. I¡¯m so happy¡­ I wish Lumi¨¨re could see you too¡­¡±

    Her voice fell away once more, for the final time, a smile on her face. Lumi¨¨re stood in silence, almost watching over her, with some semblance of hope that she would return. He didn¡¯t know her. But he loved her. She was his mother. He didn¡¯t want her to leave.

    ¡°I never really resented you.¡± Lumi¨¨re muttered, his lip quivering. He refused his tears. ¡°I¡­ wish I knew you. I wish you knew me. Thanks for being my mother, for the few memories you knew that you were you. Thanks for trying your best to fight.¡± He ran a hand through her hair, brushing back the loose strands. Her skin felt cold, the light in her eyes fading.

    ¡°You were as wonderful a mother as you could be.¡±

 Chapter 76: Laughter

    After the night had passed, Lumi¨¨re re-circled the care home, arriving once more at the front entrance in the morning. He tipped his hat to the attendant who had been guarding out front previously, unaware of his nighttime visit, and walked inside. There was another attendant, a clerk sitting behind a desk inside the entryway. He casually approached her, removing his hat as he smiled genially. When she glanced up towards him, he spoke.

    ¡°My name is Lumi¨¨re- ah, Lumi¨¨re Cassidy Croft.¡± He had become unused to using his middle name. It just wasn¡¯t common in the lower borough to do so. However, he thought he may as well act proper, given the circumstances. ¡°I¡¯m here to visit my mother, Collette Soleil Croft. I¡¯ve been informed that she hasn¡¯t been feeling well of late.¡±

    Of course, he knew better. It was only a formality that he had to portray. ¡®Lumi¨¨re¡¯ shouldn¡¯t have known of his mother¡¯s death. That would have required sneaking into the care home during the night, which would land him in trouble if known. To retrieve his mother¡¯s corpse, it was necessary to act as an unknowing son.

    The clerk¡¯s gaze widened, her mouth agape. She let out a hesitant breath, and stood up. ¡°Mr. Croft, there¡¯s something that I must inform you about, please follow me.¡±

    In the following moments, the clerk led Lumi¨¨re to his mother¡¯s room. She told him of his mother¡¯s death, and subsequently, he became visibly distressed. He had to stop walking at times to kneel on the ground, supporting his weight against the wall as he heaved and gasped for breath. As the clerk watched Lumi¨¨re fall to his grief, her eyes softened with pity.

    She was patient with him, guiding him slowly through the intricate and regal care home, holding his hand and placing hers on his back in comfort as they walked. Of course, she had seen such a reaction many times before. The clerk had grown to know that death was an inevitability, and so was grief.

    However, it was all just a lie.

    ¡®It seems she¡¯s fallen for it.¡¯ Lumi¨¨re sniffled, wiping a tear from his eyelid. ¡®Now I can retrieve Mother. It¡¯s worked out well. Still, what a kind woman she is. An angel apart from this world.¡¯

    After Lumi¨¨re had been shown his mother, and continued his grieving performance for the sake of the clerk, he began to inquire about burying his mother. He wanted to make sure she wasn¡¯t dumped on the side of the road. He wanted her to be buried properly.

    ¡°For fifty Len, we can give her a very extravagant burial. However, I¡¯m not sure if you¡¯re that type of person. For ten Len, we¡¯ll give you a plot of land and the necessary preparations to bury her. It¡¯s very personal.¡± The clerk explained.

    ¡°Thank you, I appreciate the consideration. You seem to know me well.¡±

    ¡°Knowing all sorts of people comes with the job. It¡¯s no big deal, really.¡±

    ¡°What is your name?¡± Lumi¨¨re asked, curious.

    ¡°My name is Cecilia. Cecilia Yuran.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re¡¯s eyes widened slightly, unnoticeable. ¡®Yuran? Where have I heard that name before? How strange. Should I ask Poe¡¯s Gnosis? But it only seems to have information regarding the Sinner¡¯s Labyrinth and magical domains. Something like that can¡¯t be all-knowing¡­¡¯

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    ¡°Thank you for your help, Ms. Yuran. It was very comforting.¡± Lumi¨¨re smiled genially. ¡°You¡¯re very amazing at your job. It was a pleasure to have your assistance.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s no problem, Mr. Croft. It¡¯s just my job, after all.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re nodded. ¡°That is so.¡±

    Then, bidding his goodbyes, he left. He hired a passing horse-drawn carriage, the cheapest of travel options, and coaxed the driver into assisting him in lifting the casket. Telling the man of the plot of land he had bought from the care home, he was subsequently driven a short distance, dropped off along with the casket.

    ¡®Is this how most burials go? In the lower borough, bodies are just dumped into the waterways of Etten-Leur, or burned in large quantities¡­ how strange.¡¯

    He brought the casket containing his mother to the specified plot, feeling strangely wistful. He felt sorrow, certainly. His mother had died, and he grieved that he had both known and not known her. However, it felt to him like he had nothing at all, and that was a freeing experience. It almost felt motivating.

    And even as he dug the hole for his mother¡¯s casket, he couldn¡¯t help but smile. He wondered if she was looking down at him with disdain or happiness.

    ¡°Sorry, mother¡­¡± He whispered, laughing. Tears fell from his eyes unknowingly. ¡°I can¡¯t remember where father is buried, much less remember him at all¡­ I hope you can find him, wherever you end up.¡±

    After burying his mother¡¯s casket, he stayed on his knees, staring at the ground. His hands were covered in dirt, slowly turning into a mixture of mud as tears dripped off of his chin, staining his skin. He shut his eyes tight, bowing his head as he stopped digging. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry.¡± He muttered incessantly. ¡°If this world was kinder, more just, maybe you could have been fixed¡­ maybe I could have been your son instead of an intruder in your house¡­ I was lying when I was smiling. I don¡¯t care if you don¡¯t know me, and I don¡¯t know you, just please don¡¯t leave. Please. I¡¯ll change the world. I¡¯ll make it more welcoming, ready to help you, just please¡­ stay.¡±

    His gaze shot up towards the heavens. His eyes were filled with a mixture of sadness and fury. ¡°Please, you monster wrapped in thorns. Hear my pleas and abandon your egoistic throne. Give me the people I love back.¡±

    Unknowingly, his blaspheming ability activated. His words became heard by the heavens, and the madness of the sky blessed him with enhanced power. He began to bleed black from his eyes, madness seething in his brain, and his mind became quicker and more agile, but only a repeated sentence was plastered within. ¡°Don¡¯t continue to take from me. I¡¯ll change your world to spite you.¡±

    The air was silent, cold. It nipped at his skin, seemingly ignorant that the summer months were supposed to bare sunlight. Then, silence faded.

    Suddenly, dozens of people began to surround him, coming from the nearby streets. Not noticing them through the haze of tears, the crowd that surrounded him began to cry alongside him. It was loud, unsettling, harsh weeping. It was a cacophony of dramaticised sadness. Lumi¨¨re glanced up to eye the individuals, his expression faltering. The sadness that he expected to see was revealed to be a multitude of inhuman, cruel smiles staring back down at him.

    The crying individuals, their bodies shaking, began to laugh in unison. They weren¡¯t laughing with no purpose. They were laughing at him.

    ¡°What- what are you doing? Who are you all?¡± His voice was shaky, broken. ¡°Who are you!?¡± It grew angered. ¡°Why are you here!?¡±

    He stood up, facing one of the people who was laughing at him. His gaze was stranger than before. It wasn¡¯t just sadness and anger. It was also madness and confusion, a swirling mixture of emotions that made the man before him tremble even more than he had been. The man¡¯s expression dropped, becoming one of horror. He suddenly grasped at Lumi¨¨re¡¯s arms, distraught. ¡°Who are you!?¡± He cried. ¡°Why are you burying my mother!?¡±

    Lumi¨¨re¡¯s gaze shook. ¡°Your mother? What are you talking about¡­?¡± His mind churned, the madness festered within. Unaware of his faltering state, unable to switch to an alternate persona, falling to it seemed to become inevitability.

    Through those that gathered around him, Lumi¨¨re spotted an infuriating smile, a bastard¡¯s smile, a clown¡¯s smile. A man with fiery-orange hair glared at him with an emerald gaze, amused.

    ¡®White, you really chose to mess with me immediately¡­¡¯

 Chapter 77: Festering Madness

    ¡°What do you mean ¡®your mother¡¯?¡± Lumi¨¨re¡¯s lip quivered, staring at the man. ¡®Is this one of White¡¯s ploys? Is this man controlled?¡¯

    Lumi¨¨re hesitantly took a step backwards, but the man followed his stride, still holding onto him, crying out. ¡°Why!? Why my mother!? What happened!? Why are you burying her!?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s- it¡¯s not your mother. It¡¯s my mother-¡° He knew the man wasn¡¯t speaking of his own volition, but he couldn¡¯t help but stammer out a response. Madness festered in his mind, taking root. Thick streams of black-coloured tears began falling down his cheeks, warm and wet.

    ¡°I am Lumi¨¨re Croft!¡± The man screamed at Lumi¨¨re, pushing him to the ground. ¡°Don¡¯t you get it!? You¡¯re a fake, and you killed my mother! It¡¯s your fault! It¡¯s your fault!¡±

    His gaze trembled, replying in a hushed, broken, tragic tone, ¡°it wasn¡¯t my fault- it wasn¡¯t my fault¡­¡± His breathing staggered, and he began to sob.

    As Orion, the King in White, looked over the scene from the rooftop, amused, his body suddenly shivered. His skin felt cold, and he could sense the danger that lurked behind him. The point of cold steel pressed up against his neck, and he bit at his lip, caught.

    He spoke to the figure behind him. ¡°I could control you and pull that dagger away. Don¡¯t you fear that?¡±

    The figure replied in a soft, feminine voice. ¡°You have to ¡®observe¡¯ to ¡®control¡¯. I know this is the main weakness of your power. I watched you for a time and learned of this. Before you can turn around to see me, I¡¯ll cut your throat open. Judge your situation wisely.¡±

    ¡°Why watch me? What do you gain from this?¡±

    ¡°When I first saw that man, Lumi¨¨re Croft, he snuck into the care home of his mother in the middle of the night, unaware of my observation of him. I was able to deduce that he was a ¡®heretic¡¯. I needed to know his motives, and so I¡¯ve followed him this far, discovering you. Why mess with this man to this extent? So far, it seems all he¡¯s trying to do is bury his mother, whom he loved? Are you a terrible person?¡±

    Orion grinned, still staring towards the event before him. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. I¡¯m a terrible person. I must do these terrible things.¡±

    The figure behind him let out an audible ¡®tsk¡¯. She lifted the point of the blade from his neck. ¡°Go home for today, and I won¡¯t kill you.¡±

    Orion quickly turned his head around, staring at the figure behind him. She had honey-brown hair and tourmaline eyes, a short figure with a dashing appearance, like a heroine in a novel. Staring at her, he smirked. ¡°You¡¯ve made a mistake, it seems.¡± There was a shimmer in his eyes, the activation of his ¡®control¡¯. However, the woman continued to stare at him, unperplexed.

    ¡°I¡¯ve also been able to judge that your ability doesn¡¯t work on those monsters who pretend to be people. Right now, they¡¯re going along with the humans you¡¯ve controlled for the sake of pretense.¡±

    Orion¡¯s eyes widened as he watched the flesh of the woman¡¯s face contort slightly, revealing black-miasmic flesh under her skin before returning back to normal. ¡®I see, so that¡¯s why ¡®control¡¯ didn¡¯t work¡­¡¯

    ¡°Euler has told me much about you monsters¡­ so you¡¯re affiliated with ¡®that¡¯ profane Deity? How unlucky. It seems I was the one who made an error¡­¡±

    ¡°Go home, you horrible person. You¡¯ve done enough for today.¡± The woman¡¯s eyes furrowed.

    Orion let out a sigh, lifting up his hand. In unison, the figures he had been controlling in the graveyard were released from his powers, unaware of how they had appeared there. ¡°Very well. I¡¯ll do as you say.¡±

    The woman watched as Orion Callister disappeared into the darkness of the middle borough¡¯s alleyways, and then the figures he controlled gradually returning to their lives. A few remained in the graveyard for a moment, looking up at her in unison with blood-red gazes. There was fury in their eyes, as if looking at an enemy.

    ¡°Go, you vile beasts. Return to the tit of your mother and fester. I¡¯ll kill you all and let the people you¡¯ve conquered have their peace.¡± The woman spoke at them with disdain. They stared at her a while more, before grinning, black miasma visible underneath their churning skin. Then, they departed, same as the others. Only Lumi¨¨re remained in the graveyard, still sobbing as he curled into a ball, covering his face. Black liquid continued to seep from his eyelids, staining his cheeks like ink.

    The woman fell from the rooftop, landing in the graveyard below. The streets had cloaked themselves in mist, and like usual, rain had begun to pour in droves. The dirt underneath her feet became mud, and as she approached the crying man, her clothes became soaked. She disregarded it all, and knelt beside him.

    She spoke in a soft voice. ¡°Mr. Croft, it¡¯s me. It¡¯s Cecilia. From the Care Home.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re peeked out from behind his hands, eyeing the woman knelt over him. The madness in his mind continued to fester, and his eyesight remained blurry from the constant flood of pitch-black tears. ¡°Ms.- Ms. Yuran¡­?¡±

    ¡°Good afternoon, Mr. Croft.¡± Cecilia smiled. With her hands, she brushed the black tears away from his cheek. ¡°You¡¯re close to losing control of yourself, aren¡¯t you? The madness that comes with your abilities, that man was trying to ruin you, wasn¡¯t he?¡±

    Lumi¨¨re was stunned, and although his mind was a mess, he could comprehend the situation before him. Still sobbing, he spoke, ¡°how do you know of me?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because I have quite an ordeal before me as well. We can talk a moment from now. For now, try and calm yourself. If you continue to bow to your madness, you¡¯ll enter a crazed state¡­ I don¡¯t wish to see you like that.¡±

    She sat next to him, smiling, and he began to prop himself up.

    ¡°Come now, Mr. Croft. You¡¯ll be alright.¡± She lifted his head with her hand, pulling him close to her chest. ¡°Rest for a moment, and be alright.¡±

    And so he rested against her. Underneath the rain, beside his mother¡¯s grave, it somehow felt peaceful. It felt more relieving than his time at the party in the monastery, more than the rest he got each night. It felt more relieving than anything he could possibly imagine.

    ¡°Every time I pretend, it makes reality that much harder-¡° he whispered, ¡°when all of my lies fail, will I break completely-? I¡¯m scared¡­¡±

    ¡°Do you lie often, Mr. Croft?¡± She looked down at him, holding his cheeks with her hands.

    ¡°Always- it¡¯s my career.¡±

    ¡°Does keeping up all of those lies stress you out?¡±

    ¡°No, not when it goes right.¡±

    ¡°Then it¡¯s simple, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s a matter of performing them well enough that they¡¯ll go right. Isn¡¯t that how it was when you pretended to be sad earlier at the Care Home?¡±

    Surprised, Lumi¨¨re glanced up Cecilia, unaware of her true motives. ¡°What is that ordeal that you deal with, Ms. Yuran?¡±

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    She looked off into the mist of the street, contemplative. ¡°Do you know of the monsters that hide within people, Mr. Croft?¡±

    ¡°Do you mean to ask that metaphorically?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± she shook her head, letting out a hushed laugh, ¡°I mean true monsters. Ones that resemble beasts of raw flesh and sinew, with churning miasma acting like skin. They have multiple eyes and flayed tendrils that writhe about, with teeth as sharp as spines.¡±

    ¡°The Nameless?¡±

    Cecilia looked back down towards Lumi¨¨re, surprised. Her cheeks blushed slightly, coming to a realisation.

    ¡°You¡¯re quite a strange individual, Mr. Croft. I saw you drop a pendant related to the Crown of Thorns that night. Are you a believer in the Goddess, or was that simply for the sake of your Blasphemy?¡±

    ¡®She knows of my abilities? No, she already said this much¡­¡¯ Lumi¨¨re¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°I would call myself a half-believer.¡±

    ¡°So you call those creatures ¡®Nameless¡¯, and you walk around with a pendant of the Crown of Thorns. Is it the case that you¡¯re affiliated with ¡®Heaven¡¯s Roses¡¯?¡±

    ¡°How do you know so much?¡± Lumi¨¨re was truly shocked. Up until that point, he had only considered her a kind, unknowing woman. It seemed that everyone he ran into had hidden motives and libraries of strange knowledge. He really was a magnet for tragedy and danger.

    ¡°Heaven¡¯s Roses and I have the same goal. However, they¡¯re also keen to kill me.¡± Cecilia smiled regretfully. ¡°If you wish to kill more of those beasts, and at the same time rid Leiden of corruption, then you should meet me here three days from now, in the cover of night.¡±

    She retrieved a piece of paper from inside her clothes, passing it to Lumi¨¨re. He sat up at the same time she stood, bowing her head. ¡°Lumi¨¨re Croft, I hope you¡¯re not a terrible person. If you¡¯re affiliated with Heaven¡¯s Roses, then I¡¯m sure you can help me. Please help me kill those beasts. Please help me get my revenge.¡±

    He watched as she began to walk away from him, slowly disappearing into the mist that cloaked the street.

    ¡®What was with her? Why does everything I have to do cloak itself in so much mystery? Why can¡¯t anything ever be straight-forward and obvious? Still, it seems she scared off White¡­ I have to thank her, so I should go see her again. If I can kill more of the Nameless, it will save me trouble in the future, I¡¯m sure¡­¡¯

    Every time he uttered their name, he could only think of Asmodeus, and his failures against such a creature. If he could kill off the danger before Father Benedict and the others put themselves in front of it, it was to his benefit. He was done grieving over other¡¯s deaths.

    ¡®My brain feels as if it¡¯s filled with sludge¡­ and these black tears, I must be going mad. I let my emotions get out of control¡­ luckily, it seems the monster in my shadow is still asleep...¡¯

    Lumi¨¨re, wasting no time, made his way to the street. He began to look around, eyeing each door with suspicion, until he found a familiar one lying in an alleyway. In front of it, a familiar attendant with ochre skin dressed in a simple attendant¡¯s outfit stood, guarding. Lumi¨¨re reached into his jacket, pulling out the ¡®One of Spades¡¯ card, presenting it to the man. The attendant nodded, giving way for Lumi¨¨re to enter.

    In the familiar hall of the House of Cards, Lumi¨¨re immediately noticed that the high-back chair at the end of the hall was empty. ¡®The Joker is absent? I wonder why¡­¡¯

    Luckily for Lumi¨¨re, a man with white hair intermingled with gold sat at the bar, laughing and talking with another familiar woman. It was Cartwell Heffen and Zelia Chatelaine, Lysander and Laertes respectively. They were members of his ¡®Mythos Garden¡¯. Cartwell was exactly who Lumi¨¨re had been looking for. If he hadn¡¯t been able to immediately find him, Lumi¨¨re was considering using his meditative state in order to contact them using illusory murmurs and the connection between them through their contract.

    He approached the two, tapping Cartwell¡¯s shoulder. The man spun around, holding a drink in his hand, surprised. Spotting Lumi¨¨re, his eyes furrowed, trying to ascertain his identity. Lumi¨¨re placed his hand up to ease his nerves, speaking, ¡°it¡¯s One of Spades, not the person you¡¯re thinking of.¡±

    He had almost forgotten that his base persona, Lumi¨¨re Croft, was considered the ¡®vessel¡¯ of the Demon, and had almost outwardly spoke to them without considering that fact. It would have certainly ruined his lie, but his festering madness was clouding his immediate judgment.

    ¡°Ah, One of Spades!¡± Cartwell exclaimed, sweat dripping down his brow. Unprepared in his heart, he had been terrified by the sudden appearance of the Demon. Although he had begun to trust Ophelia, the sight of him was still terrifying. It was even-doubly so for the man who chose to act crazy, the One of Spades. ¡°What is it I can help you with today?¡±

    ¡°I need a philter prepared.¡± Lumi¨¨re spoke coldly. He wasn¡¯t interested in portraying his cold and crazy persona to Laertes and Lysander, but to anyone else who might be listening. If he could be seen as someone who shouldn¡¯t be messed with, he didn¡¯t have to worry about the cunning fools who sought profit within the House of Cards.

    ¡°Certainly. Should we adjourn to a private room?¡±

    ¡°Our ¡®Master¡¯ has entitled us to the use of his private room. We can use that.¡± He replied simply, turning his back to the two. Cartwell looked over to Zelia with a mixed expression and sighed, nodding his head as if to say ¡®I¡¯ll be back¡¯.

    As soon as the two were sitting in the privacy of the meeting room of the Mythos Garden, Lumi¨¨re began to speak.

    ¡°I need you to concoct a philter for me, something that can abate madness.¡± It was a proposition he had no real hope for, but it was his only avenue, unless he were to ask Thomas Hawthorne for help. However, he was still averse to contacting the attendant of the Lord Sinner. After all, anyone connected to that labyrinth and its horrors was certainly a monster he shouldn¡¯t associate with unless necessary.

    As for Lysander, Cartwell Heffen wondering why ¡®One of Spades¡¯, otherwise known as Lumi¨¨re Croft wouldn¡¯t just ask the Demon residing inside him for help was of no worry to Lumi¨¨re. Cartwell already obviously believed that the Demon of the Garden resided within the host, himself. If Lumi¨¨re didn¡¯t ask Ophelia for assistance, then Cartwell would have obviously assumed there was something preventing that. And he definitely knew better than to ask questions.

    Thomas Hawthorne had put it well. ¡®How can we think to imagine the whims of higher beings?¡¯

    ¡°Yes, I can do something like that for you. However, it¡¯s less a cure, and more a suppressant. There¡¯s a reason why those of the Domain of Heresy choose to mostly rely on alternate personas in order to abate the accumulation of madness. A philter like the one you¡¯re asking for will suppress your ¡®base¡¯, leaving your lucidity intact, but harshly impact your judgment. The effect will last for several days, so if this is the option you go with, I would recommend staying in a safe place for that period.¡± Cartwell began to wonder. ¡®Has One of Spades really run into some trouble that resulted in him using an excess of his power? But he has that ¡®Lain¡¯ persona he can use, so why has his base persona suddenly accumulated madness?¡¯

    Lumi¨¨re¡¯s eyebrow twitched. ¡®That¡¯s not a particularly good effect. I have too many lies to keep up to be out of commission for so long. It would be a different story if I was unconscious, but to be active yet so inhibited, it could definitely jeapordise what I have going. I could lie and say that I¡¯m still grieving my mother¡­ the truth would definitely hold that lie together. However, the White Roses and Father Benedict are too kind, and now that we¡¯re living in the monastery together, they¡¯re likely to visit me¡­ what shall I do?¡¯

    ¡°Mr. Lysander,¡± Lumi¨¨re chose to refer to the man in front of him with a bit of respect. He had settled on portraying his normal personality as the ¡®One of Spades¡¯, instead of the crazier persona that had eventually culminated in ¡®Lain¡¯. He had begun a theory ever since they enacted the commission to kill Johan Basque. Shylock, Juno, had told him to ¡®create an entirely different person¡¯. He wondered if there was a reason why he wasn¡¯t told to create another version of his base persona instead. ¡°Is there harm in creating a persona exactly like me to abate madness? If I were to do so, then I would be able to act exactly as myself while my base persona sits in the back of my mind while recovering, yes?¡±

    Cartwell shook his head. ¡°No, if that were the case, then the Heretics in the House of Cards wouldn¡¯t be seen as such enigmatic figures. Have you heard your personalities in your head at times?¡±

    Lumi¨¨re¡¯s eyes widened. He nodded his head. Was this common knowledge, he wondered?

    ¡°That¡¯s supposedly a common occurrence. For these personalities, they are acutely aware of which of you is the base persona, in this case, being your reality as ¡®Lumi¨¨re Croft¡¯. However, when a heretic creates even one, or multiple alternate versions that too-closely resemble their base persona, those ¡®voices¡¯ begin to get confused. Do you remember the murmurs you used to convince yourself of your identity as ¡®Lain¡¯? It¡¯s quite similar to that. Slowly, you will hear them, and slowly, you will begin to get confused on which version of you is the ¡®real¡¯ you. Imagine one of those personae was meant to sit in the back of your head, slowly recovering from a mad state. But in your confusion, you became convinced that the mad persona was the ¡®real¡¯ you, and so you swapped to it, becoming mad yourself, irrecoverably so. Wouldn¡¯t that be a detriment? This is why your personae should be so starkly contrasted from the real you, so that you¡¯ll never be confused.¡±

    He could feel it festering in his mind, like a plague slowly spreading through his brain. ¡®So the only hope for me to recover my base persona is to use this philter¡­ if I fully transfer consciousness to Lain, I¡¯ll become a crazy, reckless individual. I can¡¯t use ¡®Ophelia¡¯, that personality isn¡¯t fully developed yet¡­ I could only use Lain from the start because I based it off of that storybook character. So I really will have to give away my judgment for a few days¡­¡¯

    ¡°Very well. I¡¯ll take the philter.¡±

 Chapter 78: High Conference

    Standing before a large glass vial connected to many smaller vials, Lumi¨¨re watched as Cartwell Heffen pulled an assortment of tubes from his briefcase, filled with various alchemical ingredients.

    ¡°King¡¯s yellow¡­ tin salt, and fragments of Lead ore¡­¡¯

    ¡°Lead ore?¡± Lumi¨¨re questioned worryingly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Cartwell chuckled. ¡°If it kills you, it wasn¡¯t my fault. Being an alchemist comes with the innate knowledge of alchemy¡¯s inner workings, along with the chemicals, metals, salts, and minerals that are often used. I know their makeup, their effects, reactions with other ingredients, and even the lethal doses they pose to common animals and humans. For instance, if you were to ask me to make something that would take a bear out of commission, I wouldn¡¯t ask for various details pertaining to the bear.¡±

    ¡°Then what would you ask?¡± Lumi¨¨re spoke curiously.

    He replied, humoured, ¡°I would just ask if you wanted to kill it or put it to sleep. That would be enough for me.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re sighed, smiling. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll trust in your expertise. I don¡¯t have much of a choice anyway.¡±

    ¡°A sure sign of your trust.¡±

    The two laughed over the fact, and Cartwell began to mix the ingredients together.

    After a time, he presented Lumi¨¨re with a swirling silver concoction, mixed with flecks of writhing black.

    ¡®Would it be wrong to ask One of Spades to pay for this? After all, he¡¯s the vessel for a powerful entity¡­ would I be killed if I were to offend him by asking such a thing? Still¡­ these materials aren¡¯t cheap¡­ nothing in the magical world is.¡¯

    Lumi¨¨re held the philter in his hands, his gaze trembling.

    ¡®One thing is certain, White. Your trick involving my mother went too far. I know this is a part of the game, but still¡­ now, that weakness of mine is gone. There¡¯s nothing you can hold over me now that matters. I¡¯ll complete your goals, rid you of your fortune, and then kill you.¡¯

    ¡°How much will this be, Mr. Lysander?¡±

    Cartwell¡¯s eyes widened. ¡®So he really didn¡¯t forget about the cost. Perhaps One 0f Spades is much kinder a man than I first thought.¡¯

    ¡°The materials themselves cost around ten Len per, but you really shouldn¡¯t worry about-¡° Before Cartwell could finish, Lumi¨¨re had already placed the necessary funds in his hands, closing his fingers around them. He smiled.

    ¡°Thank you for your services, Mr. Lysander. They¡¯re much appreciated.¡± His hands held by Lumi¨¨re¡¯s, Cartwell blushed slightly.

    ¡®No, this man is definitely as dangerous as I thought. His charm is too alluring. I should kill myself for feeling like this for a man. How cruel. How could anybody bear to hate him when he acts like this?¡¯ Cartwell sighed internally.

    ¡°What will you do now, Mr. Lysander?¡± Lumi¨¨re asked of the man.

    Cartwell tilted his head, sighing. ¡°My Lady insists on staying for the entirety of the High Conference, even though it isn¡¯t mandatory. So, after this meeting, I¡¯ll return. Thankfully, there was a recess a bit earlier, so we both came along to the House of Cards for a drink. It¡¯s quite lucky we were able to meet you here in such a situation.¡±

    ¡®The High Conference? That¡¯s what White was talking about¡­ so Cartwell Heffen really is the servant of that woman, Zelia Chatelaine. How interesting. I wonder if they know the Genius Blade, Artis Faulkner. Perhaps they even know White himself. Aren¡¯t all Nobles acquainted, or at least have some knowledge pertaining to each other? I wonder if this man would tell me more about White if I asked him to. Well, that can always be saved for a later date.¡¯

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    ¡°I wish you the best of luck with your endeavors.¡± Lumi¨¨re bowed to the man.

    Before they exited the private room, Cartwell offered him a word of warning. ¡°Your name has been circling the smaller gatherings of Lesser Nobles. I have no idea what it could pertain to. I just thought I should warn you.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re¡¯s eyes widened, looking at the man before him. ¡®My name has been uttered in Noble circles? For what purpose? Could this have something to do with White¡¯s plot? How strange.''

    ¡°If you hear anything else, please inform me.¡± Lumi¨¨re smiled genially, bidding his farewells. Cartwell nodded in return, and they both exited the private room. Lumi¨¨re watched for a bit as Cartwell rejoined his mistress, Zelia Chatelaine, and then left the House of Cards. Of note, the Joker was still missing from his seat at the back of the hall, and those gathered within the hall still showed a hint of malice towards Lumi¨¨re as he passed them by.

    Then, returning home on foot, as habit, despite the money he had obtained in excess, he quickly adjourned to his room in the monastery. He sat down at the edge of his bed, retrieving the philter from his pocket, eyeing the swirling colours within.

    ¡®For a few days, I¡¯ll have to abandon my judgment. This only pertains to ¡®Lumi¨¨re Croft¡¯, right? I don¡¯t have any ¡®finished¡¯ personae apart from Lain, so I can¡¯t just swap to another for the time being while my main personality recovers¡­ what if I didn¡¯t have to entirely switch? If I could be part-Lumi¨¨re and part-Lain, I could definitely keep myself intact, but that would rely on Lain¡¯s judgment, which is definitely not the best¡­¡¯

    ¡®Still, it¡¯s an urgent matter. I have to try anyway. Good luck, Lain.¡¯ Without any more hesitation, Lumi¨¨re uncorked the philter, throwing back the contents into his mouth. It tasted of bitter metal, and burned slightly as it slid down his throat. It had a slimy consistency, like thick liquid fire. He coughed and sputtered, a slight amount dripping down his chin.

    Then, everything went dark.

    === In Lindgram¡¯s First Inner Stratum, within the council chamber of the Emperor¡¯s towering marble palace. ===

    ¡°The Emperor is absent today, isn¡¯t he?¡± Zelia noted towards Cartwell, surprised. The Emperor, Cassander Barron II, rarely made public appearances. However, during the High Conference each year, he was sure to make an appearance each day. It had become a habit of his. To see him missing was an oddity.

    ¡°Still, the Consulate is here. Consul Dexter, Rravious Tormoul and Consul Laevus, Gallian Argyle remain. As the mouthpieces of the Emperor, despite their differing ideologies, they can speak for him.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps. But there are four-hundred members of the Centurian Assembly, and six-hundred members of the Senate here, as well hundreds of Noblemen and Women. Even the Specialty Agencies- the Trade Commission, Censor Commission, Environmental Commission, and Judicial Caucus are here. Can they alone speak to all of them?¡± Zelia replied, unconvinced.

    Cartwell put a finger to his lips, signaling Zelia to remain silent. The processions were about to start.

    They sat within a large half-circular arena-like structure, with thousands of stacked seating arrangements overlooking a large stone platform in the center, suspended high above the seats. Due to the angular arrangements, the two figures standing on the stone platform could be seen, even at the lowest point of the chamber. This was the Conference Hall within the Emperor¡¯s marble palace, reserved for the High Conference alone.

    Two figures stepped forth, wearing emerald and red robes to differentiate each other. They both had grey hair tied back behind their heads, and beards that stretched down to their abdomens. Despite their age, it was clear that the two of them were might, powerful figures.

    ¡°As you¡¯re all aware, we¡¯ve been trying to retake the winter-strewn North from that Queen of Nightmares who commands ghouls, using the Emerald Isthmus as our station-point to launch our attacks,¡± the Consul Laevus began to declare, ¡°but still, we¡¯ve not managed to find a grasp in the North. That has changed as of last week.¡±

    The Consul Dexter nodded his head in agreement. ¡°The North will be taken soon. Then, we¡¯ll be able to secure our trade routes between that forsaken city and our city of Deepslate. It is the will of our Emperor, our holiness.¡±

    Chatter began to erupt through the crowd of thousands. In the North of the western continent, a large stretch of sea separated the snowy north from the rest of the continent. It had long been overtaken by humans who couldn¡¯t bear to die, living off of the renewment of their rotting flesh- ghouls. To take such a place only meant that the Empire was looking to claim some cache of resources in that land, worth enough to sacrifice thousands of lives in a war against the immortal.

    ¡°We go where we shouldn¡¯t¡­¡± Cartwell muttered.

    Zelia looked towards Cartwell, curious.

    ¡°Strange things may happen soon, my Lady. The magical world may begin to grow restless.¡± Cartwell¡¯s eyes furrowed.

 Chapter 79: Princess, Revenge

    During a recess in the final day of the High Conference, Zelia Chatelaine had decided on taking a stroll through the Emperor¡¯s marble palace, as many others chose to do at that time, Cartwell following closely behind her. His hands were tucked behind his back. His light-brown long coat had been draped over a buttoned white robe, and his yellow-white hair had been tied neatly behind his head, several strands of hair falling across his ears.

    Zelia¡¯s appearance had always been neat, but to attend the High Conference, a nobleman or lady was expected to take on the appearance of perfection, and so all measures were taken by her attendants to ensure her prime beauty. Her eyes had been sharpened by black ink, and her lips were bright as roses. Her skin was pale, like a doll¡¯s, and her cheeks were lightened by blush. Cartwell¡¯s appearance had remained simple to contrast and exemplify his Lady¡¯s beauty just by standing beside her.

    ¡°My Lady, will we get lunch while we¡¯re out?¡±

    Zelia sighed. ¡°Stop trying to get me to eat, my dear Servant. I¡¯ll eat when the conference is over. Until then, I must maintain my figure so I¡¯m not gossiped about. I still have the Chatelaine¡¯s name to uphold.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think your father would be angered if you kept yourself healthy.¡±

    ¡°Then you clearly do not know my father.¡± Zelia chuckled. As they walked down the ornate halls of the marble palace, illuminated by the glistening sunlight reflected off of the marbling, Zelia¡¯s gaze froze, her brows furrowing. Cartwell stopped as she did, his hands hovering over his waist, where his blade remained.

    Three women wearing bright-blue robes followed behind one another, approaching the two. They belonged to a family that Zelia had grown quite close to in her lifetime, the Argyle family. Due to their Head of Family being the Consul Laevus, Gallian Argyle, they had grown extremely powerful within the political landscape in such a short time. Due to the Chatelaine family¡¯s control over the Iyasul crystal market, they had been seen as a prized ¡®possession¡¯ by the Argyles. To secure a constant supply of crystals for their industry, Zelia had been offered by her father to the eldest son of the Argyle family, Casimir Argyle.

    This wasn¡¯t such a bad position for her to be in. She had known Casimir since childhood, and they had grown up together. He had been a kind man, and she had grown to love him, if only in the greatest way a friend could. Now, he was dead, and so the Argyles had no reason to pretend they cared for Zelia Chatelaine. Only the malice and pettiness that came from their high position remained to be directed towards her.

    ¡®The Argyle family?¡¯ Cartwell¡¯s expression furrowed. ¡®This can¡¯t possibly turn out well.¡¯

    Zelia was unable to move in the face of her ex-family. She, who had entered the world of magic to such an extent, was frozen in fear.

    One of the women stood before her, the others sneering as she spoke. Cartwell stepped in front of Zelia, bowing to the three woman before greeting them. ¡°Your Royal Highness, Duchess of The Divide, it¡¯s an honour to be in your presence.¡±

    ¡°Can your Lady not speak for herself, dog? Is she still so distraught by our brother¡¯s death that she would flounder around like a dead fish, unable to talk for herself?¡±

    Zelia failed to respond. Her eyes began to tear up. She looked away from the three, and Cartwell was forced to laugh off the ordeal. However, he suddenly became distracted.

    ¡°Mr. Callister! Don¡¯t just go running where you want! This isn¡¯t your estate¡ª¡ª this is the home of the Emperor, mind you!¡± A voice suddenly called out.

    As Zelia, Cartwell, and the three women turned towards the voice, they suddenly realised that a figure had appeared before Cassandra Argyle, eyeing her with curiosity, a blissful grin on his face. He had red-orange locks that fell down across his shoulders, and wore clothes that were far too feminine, yet fit his overall-pristine and attenuated form perfectly.

    ¡°Pandora Callister, what business do you have to stand between us so rudely?¡± Cassandra chided.

    Zelia and Cartwell were surprised by the man¡¯s sudden appearance. It put them on edge, and Cartwell retained his grasp on the hilt of his blade.

    ¡®I didn¡¯t even see this man approaching, even though I kept an eye on the distant edge of the hall. How did he get here so quickly, and why does he emit a terrifying aura?¡¯

    ¡°Ms. Argyle, isn¡¯t it the case that you make many visits to the red district? You must be quite interested in expanding to that industry, it seems, as you visit every weekend without fail.¡± Pandora noted, smiling mischievously.

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    Cartwell and Zelia¡¯s eyes widened, not expecting such an occurrence. They didn¡¯t know the man standing before them, nor why he was dressed like a woman, but he piqued their interest.

    ¡°That¡¯s none of your business.¡± Cassandra Argyle¡¯s gaze averted slightly, embarrassed. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear it from the shame of the Callister family. Shouldn¡¯t you go run around in dresses and makeup instead of being here? Where is your brother?¡±

    Pandora smirked, knowing. ¡°He¡¯s away on business. Let¡¯s not speak of someone that isn¡¯t here. Rather, why is it you¡¯re so averse to be seen in the red district? It¡¯s not as if its uncommon for us High Nobles, in comparison to Lower Nobles. If it¡¯s not that you¡¯re doing business or buying¡­ is it that you¡¯re selling¡­?¡±

    Cassandra¡¯s face immediately lit up a bright red hue, angered and embarrassed.

    ¡°But why would a woman from such a prominent family, the grand-daughter of a Consul, no less, selling herself in a common brothel?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s- that¡¯s not of your business¡­¡± her voice grew stifled, hushed. Pandora took a step forward, pushing her against the wall as he grinned.

    ¡°But I own that brothel you frequent. Doesn¡¯t that make it entirely my business? Who do you think approved your hiring in secret, ignoring that you used a fake name and persona to pass by unseen? Of course, under my eyes, whether or not you use a fake name, backstory, or even change for face surgically¡ª¡ª it will all fail to matter.¡± Pandora put a finger to his lips, telling her to silence her rebuttal. Cassandra¡¯s words choked up in her throat, unable to respond.

    She let out a huff, and with her sisters trailing behind her, they left.

    The red-haired nobleman turned to the two, his grin fading.

    ¡°Ah, thank the Goddess they left. I hate acting strong and confident.¡± Pandora began to twirl a strand of his hair.

    Zelia remained silent, still shaken by the ordeal. Cartwell began to speak in her stead.

    ¡°What was it that you¡¯re talking about? Cassandra Argyle in a brothel, selling herself? Are you making up strange tales or is this the truth?¡± Cartwell wondered, shocked, forgetting to greet the nobleman properly.

    ¡°It¡¯s not uncommon, attendant of Ms. Chatelaine. The one thing that all Noblewomen lack is freedom, being pawns in a larger game. I know all about being a pawn, but not that certain perspective. Still, I can empathise. It¡¯s even less rare for one of these Noblewomen to seek that freedom in the hands of men, usually wealthy businessmen and merchants who can afford to spend so much money on the company of women. So, they always end up in my brothels, high-end, and incredibly private. Some seek business, others offer it. In the end, it¡¯s just another means for someone to claw at the sun. Not all are aware of their blessings when there¡¯s the curse of shackles tying them down.¡± Pandora smiled genially. ¡°I try to offer solace when I can. If it¡¯s inevitable, I can make sure it¡¯s at least pleasant. In the end, I can even offer them alternate avenues to seeking that ¡®freedom¡¯ they desire. It doesn¡¯t always have to come at the cost of themselves.¡± His gaze was reflective, deep. It made Zelia and Cartwell confused of his nature, of whether he was a sly, cunning man, or a kind one.

    Finally, the woman trailing behind Pandora caught up. She had a stern face plastered on her sun-bitten complexion. She had long black hair caught up in the white hood of her cloak, and bright-blue eyes that glimmered like sapphires.

    Zelia and Cartwell¡¯s eyes widened. Unlike the fiery-haired feminine man, they recognised the woman behind him instantly. She was the eldest daughter of one of the most powerful families in the Empire, the Faulkner family. They were the richest merchant family, and a direct branch of the Barron family, with a straight succession line to the throne in the event of tragedy, bypassing the families of the Twin Consuls.

    As such, the woman standing before them was not just a noblewoman. She was twelfth-in-line to succession of the Imperium. She was Artis Faulkner, the Princess of the Faulkner Branch Family.

    Zelia and Cartwell immediately fell to one knee, bowing their heads towards the Princess.

    Artis¡¯s face lit up a bright-red, her serious expression faltering, waving her hands to dismiss them. ¡°No- no! That¡¯s not necessary, you two! We¡¯re equal here in the Capital. There¡¯s no need for a show of deference.¡±

    Cartwell was the first to respond, his head still bowed. ¡°Respectfully, your Royal Highness, that may be true for my Lady. However, I am just a servant. I should at least do this much.¡±

    ¡°You speak for your Lady?¡± Artis posed, curious.

    ¡°Please forgive my impudence in speaking aloud, Ma¡¯am. My Lady had been shaken from a previous correspondence. I would ask that for the sake of her health that you would speak with me if necessary.¡±

    Artis extended her hand, smiling genially. ¡°It¡¯s no matter to bow, if it allows you to keep your honour. However, I would prefer that everyone remain equal here, especially in these times. This includes you, her dearest companion.¡±

    Cartwell¡¯s face brightened slightly, raising his head and accepting her hand, his cheeks flush. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to trouble you, Ma¡¯am.¡±

    Artis shook her head, looking over towards Zelia, who was still silent, lost in her thoughts. ¡°It¡¯s of no importance to me. Don¡¯t trouble yourself with it.¡± She walked over to Zelia, who still remained bowing, and knelt down at face-level with her. ¡°Are you alright, dearest Chatelaine?¡±

    Zelia¡¯s expression faltered, glancing up at Artis.

    ¡°Ah-,¡± her voice finally returned to her, responding to the Princess, ¡°it¡¯s all right, Faulkner. I¡¯m sorry to trouble you.¡± She subsequently stood up, beckoning for Cartwell to follow her as Pandora and Artis watched on with curiosity and worry.

    She had left the Princess because she could not bear to embarrass herself in front of such a powerful figure in her current state. The faces of each member of the Argyle family raced through her mind, stained with remnant memories of blood and flame.

    She could not forget that family that she suspected stole everything from her. She knew in her heart that it had been the Argyle¡¯s themselves that had killed their eldest son, Casimir, for some reason. It had been his final words that she had witnessed herself that brought on that suspicion¡ª¡ª ¡®do not trust my name¡¯.

    It was for that reason that the idea of revenge burned in her mind. She wanted revenge against them.

    Still, she feared them.

 Chapter 80: Liars Dilemma

    Lumi¨¨re awoke several days later enveloped in warmth, in comfort and in a tangle of silken bedsheets that were surely not his own. His eyes shuttered open, taking in the beams of morning sunlight that burst through the curtains of the room. He raised his head up groggily, supporting his weight by leaning on his arm as he turned. He quickly realised he was wearing no clothes, covered up only by the tangle of sheets atop his form. He saw a face staring back at him, smiling genially. She had bright green eyes and dark hair that spilled against her bare form like falling water.

    ¡°Good morning, Ms. Lavant.¡± Lumi¨¨re¡¯s expression flushed significantly, trying to keep his calm.

    ¡°What happened to calling me ¡®Clementine¡¯?¡± She laughed. ¡°Have we already gone back to being ¡®colleagues¡¯ again?¡± She was the attendant of the show hall that Lumi¨¨re had gotten to know over several years of working as a show magician.

    ¡®What happened in the few days I was swapped with ¡®Lain¡¯? What could he have possibly gotten me into in that little time?¡¯ Lumi¨¨re¡¯s brow twitched. ¡®He was supposed to pretend to be me. Where did he get the idea that I would do something so unprofessional?¡¯

    ¡°Then, good morning, Clementine.¡± Lumi¨¨re corrected himself, still confused about the whole situation.

    She fell back against her pillow, a hand against her chest as she let out a sigh. ¡°Your tricks are endless, dove boy. I didn¡¯t know they would extend to this length, however.¡±

    ¡®Lain, you bastard¡­ what could you have possibly done? And why is she calling me ¡®dove boy¡¯ suddenly? Don¡¯t tell me you tried performing one of my tricks to the only person in the world who sees through all of them¡­?¡¯

    ¡°I have many more up my sleeve.¡± Lumi¨¨re chided in response, keeping up the pretense.

    ¡°At least your flirtiness has dissipated. Really, did you think I was the sort of woman that would fall for your silver-tongue? I¡¯m not one of your endless fans, after all.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re here now, aren¡¯t we?¡±

    Clementine laughed. ¡°Perhaps. Or maybe it was the drinks we both consumed beforehand.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re¡¯s expression froze, his heart sinking. ¡®That¡¯s even worse. Lain, you fucking demon¡­ this definitely wasn¡¯t ¡®acting¡¯ as me.¡¯

    ¡°Sorry, I tend to become a strange person when I drink. I hope it wasn¡¯t too off-putting.¡±

    ¡°If it were off-putting, do you think you would be here right now?¡± Clementine¡¯s gaze grew amused, teasing. ¡°There¡¯s no need to explain yourself, magician. You were a wonderful experience.¡±

    ¡®Thank the Goddess I don¡¯t remember any of this. I would be traumatised at this point¡­¡¯

    They later adjourned to the kitchen within her home, Lumi¨¨re dressed in his clothes from the night before, which had been stained by bright-red alcohol, and torn at some of the seams by who-knows-what. He let out a sigh, leaning over the counter while facing Clementine.

    ¡®I can¡¯t manage a relationship on top of all the stuff I¡¯m trying to do¡­ it¡¯s just another lie on the pile. How can I let her down easily?¡¯ Lumi¨¨re painfully racked his brain for ideas.

    ¡°Listen, Lumi¨¨re¡­¡± Clementine suddenly spoke up. It grasped Lumi¨¨re¡¯s attention. ¡°I know we¡¯ve had a fun time, but I really can¡¯t manage a relationship right now.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re glanced up slightly towards the sky, pensive. ¡®Dear Goddess, Lady of Thorns, I forgive you for all you¡¯ve done to me and those around me up to this point. I sincerely forgive you. This is the greatest gift you could have bestowed upon me. It is surely your benevolence. Thank you. I will stop being a half-believer from this point forward.¡¯

    ¡°So, are you saying we should remain friends?¡± Lumi¨¨re joked. ¡°It quite saddens me to hear that. And here I was starting to fall madly in love with you.¡±

    Clementine grinned. ¡°Take your sweet words to some other pretty lady, dove boy. I¡¯ll be here when you want real conversation that eclipses the masks they all wear.¡±

    ¡°No one could ever be as meaningful as you are to me.¡± Lumi¨¨re winked in return.

    Clementine blushed slightly, laughing off his joking manner. ¡°The next time we see each other, won¡¯t it be at your last performance? Perhaps it might be our last encounter¡­¡±

    ¡°I told you I would pay you visits at times.¡±

    ¡°We both know you have a silver-tongue that loves to make promises.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps.¡± Lumi¨¨re¡¯s gaze grew pensive, contemplative of the past. ¡°Do you ever regret being more than colleagues?¡±

    ¡°Not at all. You are the greatest friend I¡¯ve ever had, Lumi¨¨re Croft. I joke around with you most of the time, but there has never been a moment with you I haven¡¯t enjoyed. Even if there was always a desk and mountains of paperwork in between us, I never felt distant from you. I think that was in part just how warm of a person you are, and I love that about you. Thank you for the best of times, Lumi¨¨re.¡± Clementine smiled.

    ¡°Then, I will consider you the same.¡± Lumi¨¨re leaned forward, placing his lips atop her head with a gentle kiss.

    Clementine laughed. ¡°Did you not already consider me in such a way? How cruel¡­¡±

    ¡°The world is cruel. It¡¯s an inevitability, my dearest colleague.¡± Lumi¨¨re winked.

    Without a goodbye, he adjourned from her home in the middle borough. He was sure it wouldn¡¯t be their last meeting. He made his way down the flowering staircase, and after a time, arrived back at the monastery on Cobbler¡¯s Street. Luckily, the White Roses seemed absent. He made his way back to his room, shutting and locking the door behind him.

    Lumi¨¨re then knelt down on the ground, closing his eyes and steadying his breath. He felt his heart calm instantly, his entire body becoming serene and still. Then, he plunged into the darkness that churned within his mind. He came to in an abyss, one vaster than the one that the Sinner¡¯s labyrinth sat in, with a lack of light. Yet, he could still see clearly.

    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    It was the mindspace where Lumi¨¨re often retreated. It was a place he had come often as a child. It was his safe space, a place of dreaming. Now, however, it was the place he stored the remnant wills of his Personae, and the memories of Elise.

    In the darkness ahead of him, three figures sat staring at him, two atop an illusory stone wall, one below them, leaning against it. He immediately recognised the personae. ¡®Despair¡¯ and ¡®Ophelia¡¯ sat above him, atop the wall. Directly in front of him, leaning against the wall, Lain was grinning like a madman.

    Lumi¨¨re pointed at the black-haired figure, his expression growing stern. ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you somehow, you bastard.¡±

    ¡°Why are you angry at me? Nothing wrong happened.¡± Lain chided.

    ¡°What do you mean nothing wrong happened?¡± Lumi¨¨re grumbled.

    ¡°We liked that woman, didn¡¯t we?¡±

    ¡°No, not in that way.¡±

    ¡°What other way is there?¡± Lain grinned, leaning back against the illusory stone wall.

    Lumi¨¨re sighed, a palm against his face. ¡°Fucking moron¡­ it really was a mistake to let you do what you want. I just hope the White Roses didn¡¯t see the stupid shit you got up to.¡±

    ¡®Although, even if they did see anything suspicious, I¡¯ll lie my way out of the situation. That¡¯s the method I¡¯ve always relied on.¡¯

    ¡°So, what really happened? I thought I had mixed your ¡®judgment¡¯ with my ¡®personality¡¯. It was supposed to be like a half-state between the two of us. Yet, I can¡¯t remember any of it.¡±

    Lain sighed. ¡°If ¡®Judgment¡¯ is the operative-base of a person, their lucid conciousness, then why would you remember it? Only I remember it because I was the active participant, and you were the person I pretended to be. I was the active judgment, and you were the persona.¡±

    This puzzled Lumi¨¨re. ¡®So the ¡®judgment¡¯, equivalent to one¡¯s lucid consciousness, of the personae is the active part of a persona, and the personality is the mask it wears? Then, I was always doomed to let Lain take control. How strange. Using this logic, hasn¡¯t my persona as a demon been ¡®Ophelia¡¯ as the personality, and ¡®Lumi¨¨re¡¯ the judgment this whole time? In reality, I¡¯ve been using a ¡®half-state¡¯ this whole time without knowing. How interesting.¡¯

    That led him to another thought. ¡®In truth, these two parts are completely different. I¡¯ve known this all along, that they can only function once completely put together. An identity I make up can only become one of my ¡®personae¡¯ when I have both completed its story, its ¡®personality¡¯ and fleshed it out to be an entirely new person. Then, I have to offer it my ¡®judgment¡¯ or allow its own judgment to overtake me. If I chose to use that persona without using its ¡®base¡¯ judgment, that persona¡¯s consciousness will live in my head, constantly voicing its own judgment. That is why Ophelia, Lain, and ¡®Despair¡¯ will speak to me at times. It¡¯s as if I¡¯ve created them, but robbed them of their free will, only using their faces and names to my own will. How cruel. How hilarious.¡¯

    Suddenly, Lumi¨¨re felt his curiosity overtake him. He raised both of his hands, drawing Lain¡¯s attention, and then asked, ¡°so, which hand do you use to cast? I thought someone as averse to morality as you would use your left hand, but maybe I¡¯m wrong.¡±

    ¡°Morals? Hands? What are you talking about? I would use whatever hand is closest to my enemies. Still, I don¡¯t need your magic to kill people. We have a gun.¡± Pointing towards the inside of his jacket, Lain spoke as if it were matter-of-fact, unworried and unbothered by the consequences.

    Lumi¨¨re¡¯s eyes widened. ¡®Of course, a persona I based on a story not set in this world would have no knowledge of the intricacies of magic I didn¡¯t teach it. So someone with a grey moral compass like I, concerned only with my goals, would have no need to pay attention to the ¡®morality¡¯ of their actions when they don¡¯t mind the truth behind them. In the same way, someone who has no morals at all doesn¡¯t need to concern himself with such a thing, like Lain. I wonder if Cartwell Heffen uses his right hand to cast spells? Would Juno, that greedy merchant, use his-¡° Lumi¨¨re¡¯s thoughts were interrupted, chuckling. ¡°Nevermind. I shot a bullet through his left hand.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been bugging me for a while, but what¡¯s with the wall behind you?¡± Lumi¨¨re questioned, curious.

    Lain glanced upwards, crossing his arms, then back at Lumi¨¨re, shrugging. ¡°No clue.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re spoke to the other two Personas sitting atop the wall. ¡°What about you two?¡±

    Ophelia stared blankly at him. This was something Lumi¨¨re had anticipated. Only certain things would be spoken from this personality, usually pertaining to an internal thought relating to the Mythos Garden that Lumi¨¨re had already conceived. Ophelia¡¯s words were only an amplification of ¡®Lumi¨¨re¡¯s¡¯ thoughts. After all, Ophelia was not a full personality. He was merely a mask, a half-state for Lumi¨¨re to use.

    Despair was different, however. That was because Despair was a persona that Lumi¨¨re didn¡¯t originally conceive. He was the byproduct of the bestowment of Lord Sinner, and so he was definitely a full personality. Despite that, for some reason, he didn¡¯t like speaking to Lumi¨¨re often. Lumi¨¨re had come to believe that it was entitlement. Despair was far more powerful a being than Lumi¨¨re was, and so he believed that Despair would pay him no attention unless he was offered the opportunity of full control over Lumi¨¨re¡¯s body, usually during the moments of duress when Lumi¨¨re would be forced to use him.

    Of course, that was all speculation. Lumi¨¨re still hadn¡¯t come to know of the peculiarities surrounding his arrangement with the Evil Deity, his labyrinth of horrors, and his subordinates that towered high above the magical world. He hadn¡¯t had time to think about it in recent times, nor had Poe¡¯s Gnosis began to glow with new information in recent times. He had assumed he would only learn more when he advanced his abilities.

    ¡®If I¡¯m only allowed into the labyrinth like most people- when I¡¯m to access a new level of power, then why am I placed in Lord Sinner¡¯s labyrinth specifically? Is it only to meet my predecessors, as Thomas said? Or will I have an opportunity to advance my ¡®Sin-specific abilities there? And do all Deities have labyrinths of their own for their ¡®Beacons¡¯? There are so many unanswered questions in this mysterious world¡­¡¯

    ¡°Forget it. I¡¯ll just break the wall and see what happens.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re stood up from where he had been sitting in the darkness. He walked over to the wall where the personae sat, staring at it for a time. It looked like nothing unique. It was an ordinary wall made of stone, fragmented from a greater structure. There were cracks in the wall, but nothing that threatened its security. He reached out with his hand, touching against the wall.

    ¡°Igni-¡° Before Lumi¨¨re could finish speaking the phrase for his ability, the cracks in the wall began to shift. Lumi¨¨re took a step backwards, not fearful, but aware. He watched curiously as the cracks in the wall reformed themselves into the shape of letters. They weren¡¯t written in Ancient Iles or Modern Thalis script, nor did they resemble the patterns of letters Lumi¨¨re had encountered in texts from the Eastern continent. They were completely foreign to him, who had read so much, and studied language as if it were a hobby.

    ¡°Do any of you know which place these letters come from? Do you think it¡¯s the language of the Sylphs in the Emerald Isthmus? Perhaps it comes from the brainless Ghouls farther North? It can¡¯t be from the Beauxoi, who live in the Divide- they use Iles, same as us. The Ixlan from the southern sea prefer Thalis to keep up with modern trade- after all, the Arctyle Cove is where Iyasul crystals are grown. So, if it¡¯s not from the East, the North, the South, or the West, then where could this language be derived from? And what is it doing inside my head? How strange.¡±

    ¡®Another unanswered question. Too many mysteries afoot. I should forge a detective persona to solve them all for me.¡¯ Lumi¨¨re grinned, scheming. ¡®Still, this doesn¡¯t answer the matter at hand. Nothing is allowed to exist here without my say-so. So how did this foreign language I have never conceived end up here?¡¯

    It was a mystery that had to remain unsolved for the time being. After all, Lumi¨¨re had more pressing matters to attend to. Three days had passed. It was time for him to meet Cecilia Yuran once more.

 Chapter 81: Commotion

    In the veil of night, Lumi¨¨re met the familiar novel¡¯s heroine with honey-brown hair and tourmaline eyes. Lumi¨¨re sat perched atop a stone wall, one leg hanging off the side.

    ¡°Ms. Yuran, it¡¯s a pleasure to see you once again.¡± Lumi¨¨re smiled genially.

    She wore a red overcoat with black trim, and ornate runic markings along its surface. Underneath, she wore a white shirt with a variety of belt loops strapped over it, obviously concealing a firearm.

    ¡°The pleasure is mine, Mr. Croft. Thank you for meeting me once more. I¡¯m truly thankful.¡± Cecilia bowed slightly to Lumi¨¨re.

    ¡®She¡¯s so formal all of a sudden. What changed?¡¯ Lumi¨¨re felt a slight nervousness, uncharacteristic of him.

    ¡°So, you have a plan to kill Nameless? Do you know where they reside? Who they pretend to be? How do you plan to kill them?¡±

    ¡°There are several of those vile creatures hiding out on the eighteenth floor of Etten-Leur, in the lower borough.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the floor that¡¯s been abandoned the longest, due to structural failure, I believe. Now, even the criminal groups fear using it for warfare. But for the Nameless, who love to hide in groups of people, it doesn¡¯t make sense to stay there. Are you sure it was the eighteenth floor?¡±

    Cecilia nodded her head. ¡°I¡¯m certain. I¡¯ve been watching them for several weeks now, observing their patterns of behaviour. They act out their days like people normally would. However, they don¡¯t eat or drink, or at least pretend to as they usually would. I¡¯m certain that¡¯s because they¡¯re not around people. They¡¯re quite interesting, despite their horrid existence.¡±

    As he was about to respond with another inquiry, Lumi¨¨re watched as a flash of silver shot by in the distance. It hopped on four legs, with long ears that bounced with each movement. ¡®The repeating rabbit¡­? Is there danger in the area, for there to be an inconsistency?¡¯

    Lumi¨¨re¡¯s brows furrowed slightly, and he looked back at Cecilia.

    ¡°Before, why did you say that Heaven¡¯s Roses wants to kill you as well?¡±

    Cecilia¡¯s expression changed from seriousness to dejection and shock, sighing. ¡°If I told you, you would believe this plan of mine is a trap.¡±

    ¡°Try me.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure?¡±

    Lumi¨¨re nodded his head.

    Hesitantly, Cecilia put a hand to her face. Between her fingers, her flesh began to writhe. Like tendrils, her skin turned into a thick blackish-red miasma, revealing the intricacies of the layers of her tissues one-by-one. Muscle, sinew, and fat bubbled against her hand, constantly reforming themselves until she removed her hand, revealing half of her skull through the skin that had fallen away, dripping onto the ground in a liquid puddle.

    ¡°You¡¯re right. That does make me think your plan is a trap.¡± Lumi¨¨re reached into his jacket pocket, procuring Cerces and pointing the pistol at Cecilia. She raised her hands in surrender, sighing, the puddle of flesh underneath her slowly crawling up her leg to ¡®reset¡¯ the state of her face.

    ¡°I told you as much. So, will you shoot me?¡± Cecilia asked in a calm, unworried tone. ¡°You¡¯ve already seen how that works out. Don¡¯t you remember your battle against the Named, Asmodeus?

    Lumi¨¨re¡¯s eyebrow twitched, gesturing the gun in his hand to remind her of the threat. ¡°How do you know of that?¡±

    She smiled genially, tilting her head in deference. ¡°I¡¯m your stalker, Lumi¨¨re Croft. Of course, there were many places I wasn¡¯t able to follow you- a strange peculiarity that seems to pertain only to you, which interested me a lot. Are you saying you don¡¯t remember me at all? We¡¯ve met once before, although we never spoke to each other.¡±

    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    Lumi¨¨re looked deeper at her, trying to sift through his countless memories, but he couldn¡¯t recall her in the slightest. ¡°Give me a hint.¡±

    ¡°You saved the lives of me and my daughter. We enjoyed your performance, both as a magician and our hero.¡±

    His gaze trembled. Suddenly, he recognised the woman precisely. She was the mother of the child he had felt guilt over, the one who had partially convinced him to take the Sinner¡¯s contract for their sake. She was the one he had saved, the one he had never seen since. ¡°That was you?¡± He bit at his lip.

    Cecilia nodded her head. ¡°It was.¡±

    ¡°Where is your daughter now? Can you afford to leave her while you try to kill these beasts?¡±

    Cecilia let out a curt laugh, almost scoffing. ¡°She¡¯s dead.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re¡¯s eyes widened. His heart churned with guilt. ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°One of those monsters first tried to parasitise my daughter. However, her body was too weak and frail to host it. She was always sickly. The only time we would take her out into the world was to see your performances¡­ when I discovered her, lying on the floor, mangled and forgotten, I saw it. It was horrifying. It wasn¡¯t like that beast you fought for our sakes. It was empty, nothingness, its only remnant form like a web of sinew and blood¡­ a parasite without its shell¡­¡± Cecilia grimaced, grasping incessantly at the writhing flesh trying to paste itself back onto her face. ¡°It attacked me, trying to take me as its host¡­ I was able to kill that beast before it fully manifested within me, strangling it to death, and my mind remained. But my flesh is no longer my own. My heart is fake, writhing like worms within my body. I can feel all of my organs- false, disgusting, profane¡­ the only thing that remains truly me is my mind. Not even my emotions remain. I don¡¯t even hate those creatures, it¡¯s only the remnant idea of hatred that I once knew.¡±

    ¡°So why try to avenge your daughter?¡±

    ¡°Even if I don¡¯t feel that I should, I know that I should.¡±

    ¡°Why seek me out?¡±

    ¡°I thought you necessary.¡±

    ¡°Why do you imagine I will comply?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll reveal all of your secrets if you don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°But what if I kill you?¡±

    ¡°Will you?¡±

    Lumi¨¨re stared at Cecilia for a moment, contemplative, before smiling. He lowered his gun, sighing. ¡°So, how do you imagine the two of us will be able to survive against so many Nameless?¡±

    Cecilia shook her head. ¡°I spoke of many, but they amount only to five.¡±

    ¡°Five bloodthirsty, powerful magical creatures.¡± Lumi¨¨re nodded his head, speaking sarcastically. ¡°Of course, that¡¯s a small amount.¡±

    His eyebrow twitched, his expression growing angered as he voiced his true thoughts. ¡°Are you serious? Five of them? How can you consider that a small task? Did your sanity leave with your emotions!?¡±

    ¡°But aren¡¯t you quite adept at fighting them?¡± Cecilia questioned, annoyed. ¡°Can¡¯t you kill them like you did when you fought Asmodeus?¡±

    Lumi¨¨re shook his head. ¡°That was only partially my doing. And that tactic would only leave us in more danger. It¡¯s also not something I can tell you about. Just the knowledge of it leaves me in constant danger.¡± Lumi¨¨re tilted his head, curious. ¡°However, considering you¡¯re devoid of emotion, maybe telling you isn¡¯t such a curse.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re proceeded to tell Cecilia of the monsters that lurked within the shadows of all people, and how they would attack those who know of them, given that the person who had the knowledge allowed their emotions to rampage. Cecilia nodded her head as Lumi¨¨re spoke, unperturbed. Lumi¨¨re hadn¡¯t expected any adverse reaction from her. It was expected that someone with no emotions would not feel too much shock.

    ¡°So, just like the Nameless, they hide amongst people. How hilarious. Is that what killed all of those Nameless when you fought the one known as Asmodeus?¡±

    Lumi¨¨re nodded his head. ¡°I had an associate of mine in the White Roses, a black mage, control the shadows in a certain way that would alert those monsters. This caused them to rampage, tearing the Nameless to pieces. You can see how this won¡¯t work with just the two of us.¡±

    Cecilia nodded her head, racking through her mind for another idea.

    Then, Lumi¨¨re spoke up. ¡°However, I have a plan that might benefit us both. In fact, I think it would benefit all of Leiden.¡±

    ¡°How can you think of such a plan? Do you plan on killing all the Nameless in Leiden?¡± Cecilia¡¯s brows furrowed.

    ¡°Not at all. I was merely thinking- don¡¯t you imagine that the biggest problem is that the general public isn¡¯t aware of the existence of the Nameless? They know there¡¯s a threat, sure. But they haven¡¯t been told exactly what it is, and that is the scariest part.¡±

    Cecilia nodded her head. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m aware. Heaven¡¯s Roses, the Peacekeepers, and the Charred Sentinels from the church of the Eternal Blueprint work hard to suppress that information. Are you saying you want to demean the efforts of your comrades and cause commotion amongst the people?¡±

    Lumi¨¨re shrugged. ¡°The people cannot protect themselves against what they don¡¯t know exists.¡±

    ¡°Then, what is it you¡¯re really proposing?¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we put on a show?¡± Lumi¨¨re grinned.

 Chapter 82: Eighteenth Floor

    Lumi¨¨re knelt within the endless darkness of his mind¡¯s abyss, staring at the threads that connected him to individuals far away. He grasped at each thread, pulling them close to him as he spoke in an illusory tone, casting his murmurs far into the distance.

    ¡°Leiden, Middle Borough, Main Street, Show hall. Create a distraction. Draw the attendants outside once the clock in the middle of Leiden chimes.¡±

    From around Leiden, multiple figures sensed the voice echoing inside their minds. They glanced up towards the sky, aware of their Master¡¯s instructions, excited, and curious.

    When Lumi¨¨re had finished giving instructions to the members of the Mythos Garden, he exited his mindscape, returning to the present moment. He stood inside of Etten-Leur with Cecilia Yuran, making their way to the eighteenth floor. She had awaited him, imagining that he was simply resting for a moment.

    ¡°So, is your personality just a mask to hide behind?¡± Lumi¨¨re questioned, getting back onto his feet.

    Cecilia turned towards Lumi¨¨re, her expression blank. ¡°All of my emotions died along with me. If I can¡¯t pretend to be who I used to be, then I would quickly be discovered. How can I expect to live a normal life if I can¡¯t do this much?¡±

    ¡°Now that I know, you¡¯ll act as you would in private, is that it?¡±

    ¡°Would you rather I smile when I¡¯m around you, Mr. Croft?¡±

    He shrugged in response. ¡°It would definitely make being around you less anxiety-inducing.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Are you that fearful of me, Heretic?¡±

    ¡°Forget it. We¡¯re almost there.¡±

    To climb to the eighteenth floor of Etten-Leur, it was a matter of ascending dozens of towering staircases that stacked atop each other. It didn¡¯t tire out Cecilia in the slightest, whose weary flesh was constantly regenerated in order to keep herself upright. However, for Lumi¨¨re, whose body remained entirely mortal, he had to take several breaks along the way to catch his breath. As he did so, he glanced at Cecilia, wondering.

    ¡°Do you feel fear, Ms. Yuran?¡±

    ¡°Fear is an emotion, Mr. Croft.¡±

    ¡°So that¡¯s a no¡­¡± He sighed. ¡®It¡¯s too bad. I was hoping I could scare her in order to use ¡®Fear Absorption¡¯, gaining some semblance of strength in my body. I¡¯m growing more exhausted with each step¡­¡¯

    He was still very hesitant to use Lord Sinner¡¯s abilities, albeit the times he had used them out of desperation. He didn¡¯t want to bend to the evil Deity completely, becoming part of his plan, whatever it entailed. He had said it many times before- that he intended to defy destiny.

    Still, climbing was a nuisance. He was alright with being hypocritical to his own decisions in order to alleviate inconveniences. He let out a heavy sigh, leaning against the crumbling stone-brick wall of the staircase¡¯s hallway.

    ¡°If you¡¯re this tired already, Mr. Croft, imagine the plights of those that live higher up.¡±

    ¡°Criminal groups, most of them. I¡¯m pretty sure that Black Rats operate out of the nineteenth floor, just one floor higher than where we are now.¡±

    ¡°Still, they¡¯re people too.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re stifled a laugh. ¡°Perhaps.¡±

    They had arrived on the eighteenth floor of Etten-Leur. Unlike the first floor of the towering stone city, which was constantly flooded by rainfall, and the drainage of the middle borough, the higher floors were devoid of rain. In that way, Etten-Leur was one of the only places in Leiden where one could feel that it didn¡¯t rain at all.

    That was because Etten-Leur was the size of a city. It was one of the largest monuments designed by the Goddess known as the Architect. It had initially been intended as a second city beside Leiden. However, due to their proximity, as well as the growing population centuries ago, the two had been connected, and Etten-Leur became the home of the impoverished and the criminal.

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    It had been built to last, but the ¡®wars¡¯ between the criminal gangs on the eighteenth floor had caused it to fall apart in disarray. The grander structure remained intact, but the interior of the eighteenth floor had fallen apart entirely. Buildings once inhabited had turned to rubble and stone. The cracks in the floor were filled with the marbling of dried blood of fallen criminals, and of flora that sprouted up from the moisture.

    ¡®The question is, what are Nameless doing here in an uninhabited area? If killing and parasitising people is their means of bringing about their Goddess¡¯s descent, then it would make no sense for them to be here in a place where no people live¡­¡¯

    Lumi¨¨re¡¯s eyes widened as he had a horrifying thought.

    ¡®Wait, that¡¯s exactly it. No one ¡®lives¡¯ here at all. This is where criminal gangs fight out bloody wars. However, the Nameless are incapable of dying from the means that those criminals would use. Is it the case that the Nameless that remain here participated in these wars? It could be that they initially parasitised criminals from the Black Rats or other associations, and were forced to take part in these fights in order to keep their identities secret.¡¯ Lumi¨¨re¡¯s mind raced. ¡®Of course, that was an obvious conclusion. The Nameless could be anyone, so why couldn¡¯t they also be criminals? It might be the case that the Black Rats aren¡¯t the only ones with Nameless amongst their ranks. The Blackfeather Group might not necessarily be safe either. How terrifying. I¡¯ll have to keep that in mind for when I next see Constantine.¡¯

    Lumi¨¨re and Cecilia crept silently through the darkness of the eighteenth floor. Because the Nameless were more adept to seeing in the dark of the night, Cecilia led Lumi¨¨re by the hand to their destination, where she had last seen the remaining Nameless grouping together.

    It was like a hellscape, a remnant ruin of war. A thick mist settled around them, cloaking their vicinity in an eerie mood that made Lumi¨¨re shiver, Cecilia unperturbed. Unfortunately, his own fear wasn¡¯t an adequate source for his abilities.

    Suddenly, Cecilia stopped moving, grasping Lumi¨¨re¡¯s hand even tighter. Her eyes widened, and her gaze shot to the right. There was a person standing beside them, peering through the film of diaphanous mist. Their eyes were red, maddening, cracked and blistered around the edges. Their skin writhed like thrashing tendrils, and their smile was inhuman, stretching to the edges of their cheeks.

    Lumi¨¨re, sensing the disturbance yet unable to see, raised his gloved right hand and whispered, ¡°Ignici¨®n,¡± his vision becoming clearer as a dancing silver flame appeared in the palm of his hand. He saw five people standing beside them, staring at them like empty dolls, unmoving.

    ¡®Why didn¡¯t Cecilia detect them!? If it wasn¡¯t for the bloodstains that litter this place, my blood tracking would have detected them¡­¡¯ Lumi¨¨re¡¯s thoughts raced, reaching into his jacket to procure Cerces.

    Cecilia reached into her jacket at the same time, pulling out vials filled with a crystalline-white substance. It was saltpeter, an allergen to the Nameless. She crushed the vials in her hands, biting her lip to avoid crying out in pain before throwing the handful of crystals towards the creatures. As it made contact with their skin, it began to writhe even more rapidly, melting away into puddles of fatty liquid that dripped towards the floor, revealing their true forms.

    While the Nameless writhed in agony, falling to the ground as they convulsed, shifting into their true, horrific forms, Lumi¨¨re cut a slit into his palm with his blade. He dashed towards the creatures, spilling his blood into their mouths, activating his ¡®poisoned blood¡¯ ability at the same time.

    Unlike Cecilia, he could sense the innate fear inside of the creatures- the human wills that remained within them. It was like a constant screaming, agonised wails that cried out to be saved. However, Lumi¨¨re knew better than to fall to guilt when listening to them. He had heard those wails far too many times in the past. He knew that only their anguish remained.

    He ignored the cries and reached out towards them, pulling the fear from the creatures and absorbing it into his body.

    ¡®I wonder why Ainsworth and Meraline Avelis didn¡¯t use saltpeter when we fought against that horde of Nameless in Oost-Souburg? Was it because they had been terrified by the sudden appearance of Asmodeus? This almost trivialises the fight against them¡­¡¯

    The agonising effects of the saltpeter only lasted a minute, and the Nameless slowly got onto their feet, which had doubled in length, growing fine spider-like hairs. Each one of them had sprouted several other limbs, which supported their thin, lanky bodies high above Cecilia and Lumi¨¨re.

    ¡®So they can take other forms¡­ I wonder what it depends on, personal preference perhaps?¡¯

    Lumi¨¨re wasn¡¯t worried about the creatures taking on such a large appearance. After all, it was just a matter of time- time that had been bought by the paralysing effects of the saltpeter. He watched as the creatures began to convulse, spewing foam and greyish-white fluids from their horrifically-disfigured mouths onto the ground below. Each one began to collapse in front of him, a mixture of flesh and bone on the ground below.

    That was the effect of his poisoned blood, the culmination of his experience gained when first fighting against a Nameless beast.

    As soon as it had started, the fight was over. That was the outcome of thorough planning. However, the clearing of the eighteenth floor was just the start of Lumi¨¨re¡¯s conspiracy. As he watched one of the Nameless¡¯s corpses begin to churn once more, still living, he grinned.

    ¡°Let¡¯s start the grand final performance of a magician, shall we?¡±

 Chapter 83: Divination

    Lumi¨¨re tore through the darkness within the lower borough, Cecilia trailing quickly behind him. The screeches of the living Nameless creature echoed through Etten-Leur, alarming those of the lower floors of the monster within.

    The citizens of Leiden had grown used to the rumours of danger that lurked within the night. That was why if one was to walk through the night, they wouldn¡¯t do so alone, and most chose not to do so at all. However, that danger became quite clear as they all heard the roars of the inhuman on that night.

    With a grin on his face, Lumi¨¨re ascended up the flowering steps leading to the middle borough, his body¡¯s innate speed amplified by the fear absorption from the fallen Nameless. It was as wide as the flowered path itself, tearing up sediment and petals into the air as its dozen limbs cracked the walls of the path. Its eyes had sunken in, leaking a thin stream of blackish-red miasma down its pale cheeks.

    It resembled a ghost, an undead creature of flesh and blood.

    ¡°Are you ready to let the world know of the danger that these beasts impose on them!?¡± Lumi¨¨re called out to Cecilia, his face a mixture of craziness and confidence. His ego flourished, the idea of ¡®performance¡¯ churning in his mind.

    ¡°Have you fallen to the madness of your domain, heretic!?¡± Cecilia chirped in response, catching up beside him.

    While it was the night of their attack on the Nameless living on the Eighteenth Floor of Etten-Leur, two weeks had passed since his last meeting with the Madame, Estte Van Claudia. This meant that it was also the night of his final performance at the show hall, and he was entitled to make it memorably great.

    His shows would draw hundreds of spectators, gaining audience of thousands of eyes. He was sure that Leiden would become acutely aware of the Nameless if he were to present one to them.

    So, he continued to lead the beast through the middle borough, down the main road until he reached the Show Hall.

    Because it was his final performance, everyone was to be there. The White Roses, consisting of Ainsworth, Ramses, Midas, and Cornifer were there. The attendant of the Show Hall, Clementine Lavant was also in attendance. However, the crux of his plan was the presence of the Mythos Garden- Capulet, Laertes, Lysander, and Shylock.

    They were the ones that would bring chaos to the Show Hall, culminating in his final performance.

    === Inside the Show Hall in the middle borough. ===

    ¡°Laertes, can you divine the outcome using that woman sitting down there?¡± Cartwell asked Zelia.

    The four members of the Mythos Garden stood atop the rafters of the Show Hall, looking down at the audience that had gathered to watch the final performance of the well-renowned magician, Lumi¨¨re Croft.

    Zelia and Cartwell had previously returned to Leiden the day previous, using the rail system that stretched across the entire continent. Juno had remained in his estate in the middle borough, and needed not travel far. Nicole had come to the Show Hall alongside the White Rose team, but had made up an excuse to be apart for them for a time.

    ¡°I can do that. However, if I end up seeing horrific sights once more, will you take responsibility for asking me to do so?¡±

    Cartwell shook his head, joking. ¡°It was one time. Isn¡¯t it natural for a man and a woman to lie together?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but to spy on such a thing through divination seems wrong.¡±

    Regardless of her past experiences, what Zelia truly feared was divining someone similar to One of Spades, the host of a Demon. She had come to realise that she had tried to peer into the very being of a terrifyingly powerful creature, and that the mistake she had made that day could have cost her life.

    Cartwell held up a thin flask of chemicals, retrieved from his briefcase, smirking as he looked down at Zelia.

    ¡°If my Lady does not wish to see such a sight, then perhaps she should divinate with her eyes closed.¡± Cartwell teased, almost goading her into the idea.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need you to mock me, Lysander.¡± Zelia replied in an annoyed tone. She grasped at his hand, pulling the flask close to her nose as she breathed in the fumes, her eyes rolling back as she entered an unconscious state. She fell back against Cartwell, always at her side prepared to support her. Her target was a random member of the audience, presumed to be a non-magic user, assuming that the divination would be successful.

    Zelia¡¯s consciousness was plunged into a hazy world of illusory mist, where echoes of memories and murmurs of past, present, and future sayings overlapped, repeating endlessly as she fished for the correct strand of fate. Those echoes stretched endlessly into the mist- the representation of possibility, of history. Those strands that represented each occurrence were like thin threads, tangled up in a confusing manner.

    Divination was akin to deciphering fate, the cryptic code of the future¡¯s happenings, the recorded echoes of the past, and the ongoing memories of the present. To an astrologist, this was a matter of finding the right ¡®strand¡¯ of fate that connected to the not-so-distant present, a future that would occur only a few moments afterward. To pry too far in either the future or the past was an aggrievance against fate, and fate did not like to be tampered with.

    To find a single happening, to divine the correct possibility that would either spell imminent danger or success for the Mythos Garden was a tall task. However, that was always the case for a divination.

    Zelia wasted no time, grasping at the illusory strands within the mist. With nimble, agile fingers, she began to weave the strands, untangling the mess of past, present, and future echoes that they represented. She saw that the woman had lost her job the month prior, been abandoned by her husband the week before, the breakfast she had eaten the morning of the present day, and that tragedy would strike her the week following.

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    She tried desperately to ignore the past and the future, wary of angering the whims of fate, whom she knew to be cruel and vindictive, and pushed those strands of possibility aside. Zelia focused solely on the present, aware of how she would locate what she had been looking for specifically.

    For the ¡®present¡¯, it could only be considered as a period of a couple of days. Anything preceding or following that two-day period would be considered the past or the future. That meant that the ¡®past¡¯ and ¡®future¡¯ sections of the strands of possibility were far more vast in number than the present. However, due to her relatively-low level of arising into the cursed domain of Astrology, the distance she could see into ones past or future was limited, and so the amount of history¡¯s possibility she had to search through was small, paltry.

    ¡®If Mr. Ophelia called us over here, then it might mean that something dangerous will occur. Moreover, he wanted us to cause chaos and drive the attendants of this Show Hall out of the building. If that¡¯s the case, then this will cause this woman to be fearful. It might even stand out as the day she fears most within the ¡®present¡¯ group of possibilities. If that¡¯s the case, I can divinate the outcome of this event easily.¡¯

    To an Astrologer who had reached the level of ¡®Novice¡¯, the Three of Diamonds, she had gained access to the ability ¡®Astralis Empathy¡¯, the ability to detect specific emotions. Activating this, she searched through the present strands of possibility until she found the correct one that pointed to the outcome of their plans. After confirming that it would end safely, she stopped weaving the strands of possibility.

    As Zelia sat in a fugue, dreamlike state, Juno ruminated over the matter.

    ¡®Why is it that we were suddenly called to action? Is it the case that Mr. Ophelia expects the interference of the Phantom Syndicate at the Show Hall while One of Spades, Lumi¨¨re Croft, performs? Or is this the plan of Mr. Croft, and we were called here simply to assist, as he is the beloved host of the Demon of the Garden? Whatever the intent of it may be, it¡¯s sure that tonight will be important.¡¯

    Cartwell uncorked a second flask after a certain amount of time had passed, holding it under Zelia¡¯s nose. Life filled her eyes once more, and she snapped back into consciousness.

    ¡°The outcome is optimal. Our conditions have been met.¡± She spoke as she stood back on her feet.

    The three others nodded.

    Cartwell and Juno placed their hands against their mouths, biting into the thickness of their flesh, blood dripping down their chins as they did so. They inscribed intricate runic markings onto their skin, which lit the markings of the chalice-pupiled eye on their hands a bright emerald colour. The runes gradually disappeared along with their blood, and their faces immediately became obscured by bright-silver half masks.

    They extended their hands towards Nicole and Zelia, each having obtained an extra mask for the other through additional transmutation. The two accepted them curiously, slipping them onto their faces. Nicole tried to keep a straight face, but his excitement was obvious, to the extent that it trumped his constant anxiety.

    ¡®Working for Mr. Demon is so cool! I got a codename, and now I get to act as a vigilante in the night, saving people! When Mr. Benedict and all of the White Roses see me, will they even recognise me? I hope not¡­ thank goodness Mr. Shylock and Mr. Lysander are so good at making masks¡­¡¯

    As they turned towards the audience, Nicole raised both of his hands as if conducting them.

    ¡°Do your worst, Capulet.¡± Juno grinned, placing a hand on his shoulder.

    Nicole blushed slightly, trying not to become distracted. Controlling the shadows was a tricky endeavour, like leading a marionette by its strings. After all, they were bound to the movements of their host. Moreover, he had become acutely aware that shadows were not necessarily as they seemed to be.

    The thought had first started during the attack of Asmodeus in Oost-Souburg. When the Demon of the Garden had commanded Nicole to control the shadows of each Nameless in the horde of creatures, he did not expect them to fall victim to the rampage of silhouettes. He had known of strange things ever since he had been taken by the Phantoms, and so he never discounted the possibility that even stranger things could occur, but it was still terrifying to him.

    That the shadows he willed to follow his commands would disobey him so suddenly- that was scary.

    ¡°I never thought to ask you, but how far have you arisen into the domain of Black Magic?¡± Juno questioned as he glanced down at the hard-working boy. He didn¡¯t expect much from the child, as he didn¡¯t look like much.

    Nicole gritted his teeth, nearly losing his focus as he quickly spat out an answer.

    ¡°Magician.¡±

    The three other¡¯s eyes widened, coming to the same conclusion.

    ¡®The sixth degree? Doesn¡¯t that make him the strongest in the Mythos Garden, apart from One of Spades and Mr. Ophelia?¡¯

    ¡ª-

    Suddenly, as he overlooked the Show Hall from the rooftop of an opposing building, Lumi¨¨re watched as hundreds of people began to flood out of its entrances, coalescing in the street below.

    His straight-face turned into a maniacal grin. He immediately recognised several people in the audience. The White Roses in their bright-white uniforms were obvious, but so was Clementine Lavant, the attendant of the Show Hall, whose image he had burned into the annals of his mind after seeing her so many times throughout his career.

    Then, he saw the members of the Mythos Garden standing apart from him on the Show Hall¡¯s rooftop.

    ¡®Are you ready to witness greatness?¡¯ His mind churned at the thought of the performance that would occur. He glanced back towards Cecilia, who had speared Lumi¨¨re¡¯s blade through the skull of the Nameless creature, silencing it and pinning it to the ground.

    As he stood above the crowd, Lumi¨¨re felt an eerie presence watching over him. It was the same for each member of the Mythos Garden. They became explicitly aware that they were being watched from afar.

    ¡®Have you come to spectate, Phantoms? Do as you wish. I will give you a good show.¡¯ Lumi¨¨re grinned. ¡®Watch the performance of the man that will one day tear you apart.¡¯

    Lumi¨¨re stepped forward to the edge of the roof, allowing the crowd to gaze upon him. He snapped his fingers, alighting the rooftop behind him in silver flame to illuminate his visage.

    ¡°My dearest guests! It¡¯s been quite a while since we¡¯ve last seen each other, hasn¡¯t it!?¡± Lumi¨¨re called out to them exuberantly.

    Noticing his appearance, the hundreds of onlookers gazed up towards the magician they had come to see, surprised. They had expected him within the show hall, not outside of it on top of a completely different building. They had been scared by their own shadows, quite literally, and had run out of the show hall. Those who didn¡¯t see the trickery of Nicole¡¯s handiwork fell to sheepish mentality and fled amongst the rest.

    ¡°Tonight will be my last show! I know, it¡¯s been so many years we¡¯ve spent together, and I¡¯ve enjoyed them all to their utmost, but it¡¯s time for me to go. However, don¡¯t be too worried. Tonight, I¡¯ll be sure to cast smiles on your faces. I¡¯ll leave a memory that won¡¯t ever fade!¡±

    On cue, Cecilia pulled the blade out of the skull of the snarling creature.

    The lilac moon behind Lumi¨¨re was immediately enveloped by the silhouette of a horrific beast- the shadow of a monster incomprehensible to the spectators below.

    The Nameless opened its jaw wide as it flew through the air, thousands of teeth wrapping around the form of the magician, Lumi¨¨re Croft, until he was no longer.

 Chapter 84: Reins

    The crowd below watched in shock as the beast wrapped its maw around the magician.

    ¡°Is Mr. Croft dead?¡± A woman cried out, her hands held against her mouth as tears welled up in her eyes.

    ¡°No- is it real, or is it one of his acts?¡± A confused man stumbled backwards.

    ¡°But he was such a kind man! That monster, what is it!? Is it here for us too?¡±

    In similar reaction, Ainsworth shot forward, but he was held by Ramses and Midas, who also looked at the sight in horror.

    ¡°You can¡¯t just rush in there!¡± Cornifer consoled the Red Rose, a grave tone underlying. ¡°You know how we work! You know what happens when we rush into things. People get killed!¡±

    Ainsworth turned to him, his classic-look of disdain and solemnity vanished into a portrayal of true fury. ¡°People did die!¡± He yelled, ¡°Did you not see it, Cornifer!? Lumi¨¨re was just eaten by that profane mound of flesh! I¡¯m going to go up there and kill it! That¡¯s who¡¯s dying next! Lumi¨¨re can still be saved!¡±

    He had tears in his eyes, dripping down his cheeks. His sobs choked up his words, and he stopped yelling at the lower-noble scribe.

    ¡°Prepare yourself. We¡¯ll evacuate the attendants of this show and neutralise the threat simultaneously.¡± Ramses spoke in Ainsworth¡¯s stead, who had bent over, retching. The other White Roses nodded their heads in response and unsheathed their blades that they had hidden beneath their clothes. Ramses glanced around the crowd, suspicious. ¡®Why has Nicole been gone this long?''

    They scrambled to action. Due to their association with the Church, they were afforded some means of authority when it came to dangerous involvements of the Nameless Spawn of the heretical Goddess, the Lace of Blood. This meant they had official documents- identification, to prove it. Of course, none of the names on their identification were real. It was just a matter of show.

    The White Roses agilely moved through the crowd, revealing their identification and informing the members of the imminent evacuation. After being informed of the danger, the onlookers promptly left in a hurry, anxious of being caught up in the storm.

    Once the plaza at the edge of the streetway had been cleared, the White Roses promptly entered the building opposite where Lumi¨¨re had appeared. They showed off their identification to the attendant guarding at the entrance and were allowed access to the staircase leading to the roof.

    They raced up the stairs in unison, opening the door to the churning sky of storm. The wind howled, and thunder crackled in the far distance, lightning alighting the blanket of grey. It became obvious to the White Roses that they were not alone. It wasn¡¯t the Nameless that they ran into, as they expected. Four silhouettes revealed their visages in the distance, silver glint upon their eyes.

    ¡°Who are those guys?¡± Cornifer voiced his concerns.

    At the same time the audience had seen the event of the magician, Lumi¨¨re Croft¡¯s demise, the Mythos Garden had been standing at the edge of the Show Hall¡¯s rooftop, shocked and confused.

    ¡°Did One of Spades just get eaten by that creature!?¡± Zelia¡¯s eyes widened, placing a hand against her mouth to spare her compatriots her gasps. ¡°But- but how could that have occurred?¡±

    ¡°Did Mr. Demon fail to protect him?¡± Nicole¡¯s gaze shuddered.

    Juno shook his head. ¡°No, you¡¯re wrongly underestimating Mr. Ophelia- the one who brought us all together. You¡¯ve seen what he¡¯s capable of- what his host is capable of.¡± Juno, Zelia, and Cartwell had all seen the events following Johan Basque¡¯s death. Juno had readily assumed Nicole had also seen many things, knowing of his proximity to the Demon of the Garden. ¡°Knowing what you know, it would be treason against him to doubt him. There¡¯s more to this that we¡¯re failing to understand. Wait patiently.¡±

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    They all nodded in agreement. ¡°You¡¯re right. We should trust in his strength, right?¡±

    Cartwell pointed at the rooftop across from them, where Lumi¨¨re Croft had once been seen. ¡°There¡¯s figures on that rooftop. Do you think they¡¯re enemies? You felt the gazes of those Phantoms too, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    Hearing this, Nicole¡¯s body shivered.

    The two parties stood on buildings across from each other, scanning the environment in search of the snarling flesh amalgamation.

    ¡°Huh? You¡¯re right¡­ who are those guys?¡± Juno¡¯s eyes narrowed, staring at the four white-cloaked figures across from them. He glanced over at Nicole, whose expression had paled while staring at them. ¡®Does little Capulet know something? I believe that white-haired man is the Priest that takes care of the monastery Lumi¨¨re Croft resides at. Does that mean these figures are affiliated with the Church of the Crown of Thorns? If Capulet knows them, then is he affiliated with the Church as well? The world really is small¡­ Mr. Ophelia and his host sure keep their circles tight.¡¯

    Nicole was visibly shaking. He immediately recognised the figures opposing them. ¡®Those are the White Roses! Midas, Cornifer, Ramses, Mr. Ainsworth¡­ will they all recognise me? Is this really enough to disguise me? If they find out, will they kill me themselves?¡¯

    Seeing this, Juno placed a hand on Nicole¡¯s shoulder, slowing his trembling. ¡°The mask you¡¯re wearing has special runes that mimic a Heretic¡¯s minor illusion. Those facial features of yours that anyone who doesn¡¯t wear a mask like this perceives have been incredibly warped. There¡¯s no way those people can track any of us down after this is over. Just remember to keep that mask on.¡±

    Nicole glanced up towards Juno, a little surprised and relieved. ¡°Really, Mr. Shylock? Is that true? Thank goodness, I was so worried. Ah, you¡¯re incredibly kind. Thank you!¡± He smiled timidly.

    Juno recoiled slightly. ¡®I didn¡¯t mean to ease your worries, little kid. Ah, did I really? Fuck, what have I turned into by returning from the battlefield? Have I grown soft? Damn it, whatever. I hope that won¡¯t reveal that I was suspicious about him. I don¡¯t want to look into him too much since he¡¯s too-closely related to Mr. Ophelia in some way. Damn it, what is really going on here? He confirmed he was worried about being found out by those people across from us. So does he really know them?¡¯

    At the same time, the White Roses looked over to the silver-mask clad figures on the opposite rooftop.

    ¡°There¡¯s more people here. Do you think they¡¯re also Nameless?¡± Ramses posed the idea.

    Midas shook his head. ¡°That mask they all wear¡­ I could swear I¡¯ve seen it before, but where?¡±

    Suddenly, the streets became flooded with shouts and ravings. The attention of the two parties were broken, drawing to the stone-paved streetway below where far more than hundreds had gathered. For each member of the Show Hall that had ran away, it seemed five more had returned in their place. Like wildfire, the news of the attack had spread.

    The news of the middle borough¡¯s beloved magician had spread. His admirers, his fans, his dearest guests had come to see it for their own eyes- to see the dangerous creature that had been spoken of. They had come to see the truth of the magician¡¯s demise.

    ¡®Was Lumi¨¨re Croft really this famous?¡¯ Ramses¡¯s eyes widened.

    Suddenly, from the shadows high above, thin, spindly legs and arms revealed tens of elongated bony fingers that clawed into the roof tiling of the buildings above the street. Suspended above the onlookers whose gazes shot up to stare at a massive creature whose flesh seemed more sinew than skin, a Nameless amalgamation that had grown five times in size towered, a blasphemous existence.

    There was a silhouette atop the bony carapace of the monster. Members of the audience began to point, cheering.

    Riding atop the beast, with thin stands of rope cutting into the corners of its gaping mouth, Lumi¨¨re Croft held the reigns. He pulled back on the rope with his fingertips, pulling the monster¡¯s head upwards, causing it to cry out in agony that echoed shrilly through the streets.

    ¡°Now, dearest guests!¡± Lumi¨¨re grinned, staring down at the crowd. ¡°Did I ever say the show was over!?¡±

    The crowd was overtaken with surprise and joy. They thought the magician had been eaten, that he was gone on his final night of performing. Especially Ainsworth, who watched from above, felt his heart rise up from the depths of his stomach, beating wildly as he tried to lurch forward once more, still held back by his compatriots.

    ¡°Lumi¨¨re!¡± Ainsworth called out. Hearing this, the magician looked over to his childhood friend, waving amiably as if nothing had happened at all.

    Lumi¨¨re laughed wildly and happily, his hysterical mood washing over the audience.

    ¡°It hasn¡¯t yet begun!¡±

 Chapter 85: Spider

    Now that Lumi¨¨re had reappeared, the crowd become less worried.

    ¡°Is that monster one of his illusions? Was it ever even real?¡± One exclaimed.

    ¡°Amazing! What a fantastic trick!¡±

    ¡°But how did he get it to look so real?¡±

    The audience members began to discuss amongst themselves, cheering the magician on from below.

    Lumi¨¨re jumped off the back of the Nameless, landing below.

    He stood atop a building¡¯s rooftop that extended length-wise along a large portion of the street, adequate room to oppose the towering Nameless that had turned spider-like in appearance.

    When Cecilia and Lumi¨¨re had first arrived, Lumi¨¨re had instructed Cecilia to begin reshaping the flesh of the Nameless. She seemed disgusted, at first. However, there was a reason to doing so.

    Lumi¨¨re had two reasons for requesting this. As the ¡®Beacon¡¯ of the Lord Sinner that represented true fear, Despair, he knew of one of the most common fears of the people- spiders. He wanted to truly scare the guests of his performance. This was the easiest and most assured way to keep the memory of the Nameless in the minds of the people. Knowing them, they would tell others, and the news of the danger would spread, and people would become more aware as a consequence, protecting them.

    The second reason was a problem he had become aware of while fighting Asmodeus- the condensing of flesh into a focused form. The closer the Nameless¡¯s flesh was together, the easier it would be for them to ¡®reform¡¯ and ¡®regenerate¡¯ the damage done to them. By spreading the Nameless out into such a large form by hand, when he fought it, it would be much easier to mess around with, removing a large risk.

    So, using Lumi¨¨re¡¯s blade, coated in a thin layer of saltpeter, Cecilia had stretched out the limbs of the beast, which seemed malleable like clay, carving its profane form apart until it resembled a towering spider.

    Lumi¨¨re dropped the reins, walking close to the Nameless and staring it in its eyes, which had grown beaded and hazy.

    ¡°You¡¯ll be able to move soon, won¡¯t you?¡± He grinned, speaking quietly. He then turned towards the audience below, raising his hands towards them before yelling. ¡°My dearest guests, are you ready for the show!?¡±

    The crowd cheered in response, thinking it was all a game, an illusion of the famous magician. However, Lumi¨¨re had decided to make his last performance illusion-less. That was part of the reason for bringing the Nameless to the middle borough. He would make the audience know it was truly real.

    On the horizon, Lumi¨¨re saw the honey-haired heroine running across the rooftops. Dozens of tall, inhuman silhouettes followed behind her. He grinned, grasping hold of the hilt of his sheathed blade. With his other hand, he reached into a chimney beside him, dragging his palm against its inner surface. It became coated with a thick layer of pitch-black soot.

    He looked towards the White Roses, and then towards the Mythos Garden opposite him. Then, he stepped back towards the edge of the roof, tumbling backwards. He was caught up against the air for a moment, and then heard the cries of the audience as he began to descend towards them, still staring up at the Nameless creature.

    Its eyes were filled with malice, pure hatred. At that moment, the saltpeter¡¯s paralysing effect wore off, and the creature lurched towards Lumi¨¨re in midair, following him in his descent.

    As he was about to land in the middle of the street beside the audience, Lumi¨¨re extended his soot-covered hand behind him, unsheathing his blade slightly and dragging his palm against it, drawing his own blood. Then, he whispered, ¡°Ignici¨®n.¡±. The bloodied mixture of soot and remnant saltpeter alit in his hand, mixing with the silver flame before exploding in a torrent of bright-red flame and pitch-black smoke.

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    The crowd from below, and the White Roses and Mythos Garden from above watched as the Nameless Spider fell into the cloak of smoke, disappearing from their sight along with the magician.

    Suddenly, the crowd began to feel incredibly anxious. Each person watching the performance began to shake, feeling an eerie sense of danger and dismay. It was like fear rested underneath them, tremoring.

    The cloud of smoke began to dissipate, and as the onlookers watched, the silhouette of a drawn blade emerged, clashing with the monstrous form of a terrifyingly-large fleshy spider. Its form had cracked and torn, displaying the large networks of veins and muscle layering underneath its pitch-black miasmic skin. Its eyes had been torn from its skull, the nerves crawling down its neck and chest like ivy, sprouting blossoming blood-red eyes across its body.

    The countless eyes constantly swirled around, looking at each member of the audience, sending shivers down their spine.

    ¡°Hey- that doesn¡¯t look like an illusion!¡± One member of the audience, emboldened by the anxiety he felt, began to shout.

    Another echoed his sentiment. ¡°Is this¡­ really real!?¡±

    To them, it began to feel like they were truly in danger.

    ¡®Good, it looks like the ¡®dreadful tremors¡¯ is working to its fullest extent. I was initially wary about using Lord Sinner¡¯s bestowments, but it seems like they really work to my benefit!¡¯ He grinned as he struggled against the weight of the spider, its fleshy tendrils beginning to wrap around his blade. Kicking back with both feet against it, he tore free from the tendrils, slamming down into the stone-paved road below.

    Lumi¨¨re shot forward, swinging his blade as he struck the leg of the Nameless spider. The flesh seemed impermeable, the Nameless focusing the heft of its body towards its legs as it fought, reshaping the flesh below to become stronger, harder. It was as if it had wrapped its own bone around its skin. Lumi¨¨re¡¯s blade subsequently bounced off, his eyes widening.

    He drew in the fear from those watching behind him, absorbing and transmuting it, temporarily enhancing his strength. Lumi¨¨re then lurched forth again, swinging the blade over his shoulder with the full-heft of his momentum. The sword cut through the bony-flesh of the spider¡¯s legs, causing it to topple to the ground with a resounding ¡®crash¡¯. It cried out shrilly, the sound echoing through the streets and causing the onlookers to cower.

    He continued to swing his blade, unmoving in his determination to kill. He sliced through the throat of the Nameless beast, its miasmic-black blood spilling onto the ground below. Cutting through its body felt like slicing through butter, if the flow of cutting through butter was constantly interrupted by fibrous tendrils and thick, viscous marrow.

    He sped up his movements, swinging his blade faster and faster until the upper-portion of the spider had been reduced to minced bloody flesh on the stone. He let out an exhausted, heavy breath. As the crowd behind him got over their shock, they began to cheer for the magician who had given his final performance.

    ¡®Oh, don¡¯t clap yet. It¡¯s not quite over. Do you think I would let my final performance end just like that?¡¯ He wiped blood from his nose, pitch-black against his skin.

    Suddenly, on the rooftops of the other buildings lining the street, long-limbed creatures mimicking the appearance of the first emerged. The White Roses and Mythos Garden on the rooftops became acutely aware of their presence, not because they could see them, but because they could feel the creatures breathing down their necks.

    ¡°There¡¯s more!?¡± An audience member proclaimed with dismay.

    The crowd began to back up, step by step, but quickly realised that no matter which direction of the street they ran towards, they were surrounded by the Nameless creatures regardless.

    Lumi¨¨re stepped atop the rotting, writhing corpse of the Nameless spider, looking up at the rooftops where the White Roses and Mythos Garden began to draw their blades. On a belltower high above, he saw the Nameless Heroine.

    ¡®Good, you¡¯ve done your part, Cecilia. Bringing one from Etten-Leur was always just to be the catalyst of this event.¡¯

    However, they weren¡¯t dog-like beasts that he had encountered previously, nor were they humanlike monstrosities he had fought with alongside Ainsworth. They resembled the one he had just killed- the one Cecilia had purposefully deformed. Although, it wasn¡¯t possible for her to have deformed the dozen Nameless in the time she had taken to lead them to the Show Hall.

    ¡®Why do they look so similar to the one we deformed? Is it the case that mindless beasts mimic not only people, but their fellow monsters as well?¡¯ Lumi¨¨re pondered. ¡®They have a perfect horde mentality that they apply to every situation they¡¯re in. Beasts who fight well alone, but also together¡­ how terrifying. No wonder the church placed such weight on eliminating them.¡¯

    He sheathed his blade, taking a moment to catch his breath. He turned towards the audience, preparing to speak.

    ¡®Now, it¡¯s all about whether my bet will pay off or not¡­¡¯ Lumi¨¨re¡¯s brows furrowed.

    ¡®Will that bastard Archangel hear the news of the Nameless attack and arrive in time to assist us?¡¯

 Chapter 86: Beam of Starlight

    The Beasts were strange in comparison to the one that Lumi¨¨re Croft had fought before. They seemed docile, almost curious of the humans they looked down upon. Dozens surrounded them, looking malnourished and worn, devoid of facial features, except for a creepy inhuman smile that stretched across their cheeks, showing off rows of sharpened needle-like teeth.

    ¡®What are these things?¡¯ That thought was universal in Zelia and Cartwell¡¯s minds. As a noblewoman and servant who lived in the inner stratums of the Empire¡¯s Capital, they had never seen such a creature before.

    This was different from Nicole and Juno. While Nicole was used to fighting them as a White Rose, Juno had spent much time in the middle borough during the night, gathering information to use against his rivals. Running into such a creature was not uncommon for him.

    ¡°Those people, who are they?¡±

    ¡°Those are affiliates of Mr. One of Spades.¡± Juno spoke suddenly. He wasn¡¯t sure whether or not he was allowed to reveal such a truth, if the others hadn¡¯t known already. He had gauged that much based on the fact that the priest, Ainsworth Benedict, was present amongst them, knowing of his proximity to Lumi¨¨re Croft due to his investigations. Still, he took the initiative to inform them. ¡°Mr. Ophelia didn¡¯t give us instructions on how to act towards them, but we should be careful not to reveal ours or One of Spade¡¯s affiliation with the House of Cards. Those are religious figures in front of us. Do not compromise yourself or our commission.¡±

    The members of the Mythos Garden stared at the figures in the distance. Forgetting the appearance of the monsters, to them it felt like an entirely new level of danger had been veiled over the situation.

    ¡®Religious Figures? They despise magic-users that don¡¯t align themselves with them, don¡¯t they? They¡¯re prone to kill us¡­¡¯

    ¡°Then let¡¯s bow out.¡± Cartwell exclaimed. ¡°We¡¯ve already completed the task Mr. Ophelia assigned us. If we stay too long-¡°

    Zelia had already tightened the straps of her boots, rushing forward with a dagger drawn. ¡°If we don¡¯t stay long enough, how will we grow stronger!? How can we think to progress our abilities if we run because the situation is inconvenient for us!?¡±

    The three¡¯s eyes widened. ¡®Was Ms. Laertes¡¯ confidence always this blatant?¡¯ Nicole began to wonder. Of course, it wasn¡¯t like he hadn¡¯t prepared himself. Just because his nervousness often got the better of him didn¡¯t mean he was a fool. He raised his hands, causing the shadows underneath one of the Nameless to tremble. This was the technique he had learned with the Demon of the Garden¡¯s help. He was sure that it was one of the times he had met with ¡®Ophelia¡¯ instead of ¡®Lumi¨¨re Croft¡¯. There was a distinct difference between the two. Lumi¨¨re was always the one who consoled Nicole, and Ophelia was the one that taught him the most.

    Unbeknownst to him, who could not see the truth of the technique, it appeared as an unseeable illusory force that instantly tore through the flesh of the Nameless Spider in front of him. However, he spotted a key detail that made his entire body shiver. The peculiarities within the shade had shadows themselves. The light cast their form onto the ground, revealing the outline of a terrifying creature. Perhaps it was only because he was aware of their possible existence that he was able to finally see them, as he hadn¡¯t in the past.

    ¡®What are those things in the shadows? Have I been weaving around them this entire time that I¡¯ve been a Black Mage? How has it taken me this long to notice their presence, even if I can¡¯t see them¡­?¡¯ He trembled, but maintained his control over the Nameless¡¯s shadows, ready to strike another down by agitating the strange presence within the shade.

    ¡°You¡¯re really interesting, little Capulet.¡± Juno laughed, looking over at the focused boy. ¡°To think you were this powerful all this time, it¡¯s no wonder you were brought into this plan by Mr. Ophelia!¡±

    ¡®Is that true? Was I brought in because I was powerful, or did he bring me in because I was once affiliated with that wretched organisation? What are Mr. Demon¡¯s true motives in bringing me here?¡¯ Nicole¡¯s eyes shuddered, his focus staggering. The shadows began to writhe free of his authority, loosening his grasp on their movements. To a Black Mage, it was like holding the reins of a horse, leading the direction of their movements through suggestion. This requires immense focus, and it could only be done if it was feasible that Nicole¡¯s shadow could be stretched far enough to reach the target¡¯s, or by connecting to the shadow of a building to act as a conduit for his authority over the target.

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    So, he lost control of the shadows, which began to return to their normal shape, falling to the ground in an exhausted panic.

    ¡°Damn it!¡± Nicole exclaimed.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, little Capulet.¡± Cartwell mimicked the merchant beside him. ¡°It¡¯s our turn.¡±

    ¡®If the boy can do it, why should I fear the beasts or the religious group? Persecution, death¡­ I already faced those things before. I have to remember why I stepped upon this treacherous path in the first place.¡¯

    Juno and Cartwell stepped forth, holding countless flasks inbetween their fingertips, each swirling with multicoloured liquids that writhed as if they lived. ¡°Did you prepare the compound?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a strange idea, Lysander.¡± Juno jested, his expression clownish and teasing.

    ¡°Don¡¯t confuse strangeness for eccentricity.¡± Cartwell twirled a flask inbetween his fingers, sticking out his tongue. ¡°I¡¯m a goddamn genius.¡±

    He stepped up towards one of the Nameless, which looked down at him curiously. Cartwell pulled back his arm, tossing the flask at the creature with the full might of his strength, causing it to shatter and spill against its writhing flesh. The beast recoiled, steam pouring off in droves from its body, its skin beginning to melt and fall away from its bones.

    Juno wasted no time, following up with the compound in his own flask, heaving it towards the Nameless spider. It shattered alike to the one Cartwell had thrown. As the compound mixed with the acid that melted away at its flesh, bright light filled the surrounding area. It drew the attention of the onlookers who had previously been paying attention to Lumi¨¨re Croft, noticing that the night sky had lit up as if it were day once more.

    Bright white flames engulfed the creature, who began to howl in piercing, sharp agony. It gradually spread across its skin, burning the Nameless Spider a pitch-black colour, until it ceased its painful cries, falling to the ground in a pile of soot and bone.

    ¡®We hadn¡¯t the chance to cooperate together thus far. The last time we had a common goal, One of Spades- rather, Mr. Ophelia took the spotlight and fought on his lonesome. Now, it¡¯s our turn to show off what we can do!¡¯ Juno¡¯s eccentricity, his egotism began to seep out from behind his calm facade.

    The excitement of the two alchemists did not last too long. A bright flash of sapphire burst through the sky, followed by billowing smoke and a girlish cheer. Nicole, Juno, and Cartwell looked over to see the towering figure of one of the Nameless Spiders. However, it was missing its entire upper half, which was smoking and sizzling as if fried.

    ¡°Ah! That¡¯s the firearm I modified for her!¡± Cartwell¡¯s elation when speaking of his Lady was apparent.

    ¡°What did you do to it to make it do that much?¡±

    ¡°I put a storage rune on it.¡±

    ¡°To store what?¡±

    ¡°Starlight.¡±

    ¡°As an Astrologer would weave to create spells?¡±

    Cartwell nodded his head. Besides divination, an Astrologer was extremely talented in the realm of spellweaving. Using the starlight one could source from the night sky, it could then be weaved into magical spells. The starlight itself was a powerful essence, fueling the spell while using the Astrologist as a conduit.

    However, starlight was only meant to exist in the sky. Reacting with the air, it would explode wildly, killing the Astrologist. They only had a short time to create a spell before essentially being their own worst enemy.

    ¡°So she¡¯s able to store the starlight in the runes and discharge them alongside the blast of the firearm itself?¡±

    Cartwell put his hands to his ears, smiling and whispering, ¡°bang.¡±

    ¡°How many times can she use such an ability?¡±

    ¡°Once.¡± Cartwell smiled. ¡°The blast completely obliterates the firearm.¡±

    ¡°How is such a thing sustainable?¡±

    Cartwell pointed back towards Zelia and laughed. ¡°She¡¯s pretty rich, merchant man.¡±

    Juno¡¯s eyebrow twitched. ¡®Right, I forgot about that¡­¡¯

    Across the street on the other rooftop, the White Roses stared at the masked group in shock. ¡°Are they using¡­ magic?¡± Ramses¡¯s gaze shuddered.

    ¡°That means they can¡¯t be Nameless.¡± Cornifer parroted in response.

    ¡°Then who are they? Are they affiliated with the Charred Sentinels from the Church of the Eternal Blueprint?¡±

    The Charred Sentinels were the equivalent force of the Goddess known as the Architect. In comparison to the White Roses, the Charred Sentinels placed a lot more focus and importance on swordsmanship. This didn¡¯t mean that they didn¡¯t use magic, it just meant that it was not their main battle strategy.

    ¡°No, the Charred Sentinels place a lot of importance on their uniform, the same as us. The way those people are dressed, it¡¯s far more likely that they¡¯re rogue magic users. A Black Mage, two Alchemists, and an Astrologer, it seems.¡± Ainsworth calmly noted. ¡°It¡¯s our duty to bring them in after this is all over.¡± He had recovered his shaky mental state, forcing himself to remain composed. Seeing Lumi¨¨re be swallowed by the Nameless Spider, he had almost lost himself to his powers. For an Astrologer, losing your morality was a key danger, one that would turn him into a bitter, hollow soul.

    ¡°But they¡¯re attacking the Nameless! Wouldn¡¯t it be a bit crazy to punish them, given our own goals?¡± Ramses protested.

    Ainsworth shook his head. ¡°They¡¯ll have a choice once they¡¯re brought before a high-ranking member of the White Roses. They¡¯ll either be allowed to join us, or be killed. That¡¯s just how it has to go in order to preserve the peace of Leiden. Power cannot be allowed to run rampant and unchecked.

    Ramses didn¡¯t continue with his dissension.

    ¡°Forget about all of it. Now, let¡¯s get started.¡± Ainsworth¡¯s gaze narrowed, turning his head to face the beast that had positioned itself before them, towering over them with massive, spiny legs. ¡°They¡¯ve waited patiently long enough. It¡¯s their time to die.¡±

 Chapter 87: Career Liar

    ¡°Why aren¡¯t they attacking unless provoked?¡± Ramses turned towards Ainsworth.

    ¡°They¡¯re creatures that act on instinct at first, until they acclimate to acting as a human. These are probably newborns.¡± Ainsworth placed a cigarette between his lips, alighting it with a lighter. ¡°The greatest instinct for a just-born creature is to fear. Fear is survival, the instinct to cower, to kowtow, it is sewn into the fabric of a creature¡¯s soul.¡±

    ¡°But what would they fear to act in this way?¡±

    ¡°Who knows?¡± Ainsworth shrugged. ¡°Perhaps there is someone quite powerful nearby. Perhaps these creatures aren¡¯t worth our attention at all, and we should worry about whatever lies in wait.¡±

    He had lost his will to fight with serious conviction. It was a matter of moving forward until he had died, at least ensuring the safety of his team. Still, he thought it was pointless to be scared, even if there did happen to be someone powerful and malicious lurking nearby. That was because as soon as the commotion had started, he had released a pigeon into the air, seeking to alert nearby Heaven¡¯s Roses to alarm them of the danger.

    ¡°If you dilly-dally, you run the risk that someone gets hurt.¡±

    Cornifer let out a sigh, closing the latch on his pocketwatch before placing it in his pocket. Then, he raised his other hand, procuring a firearm from a hidden holster in his jacket, pointing it towards the Nameless Spider.

    He fired, lead tearing through the flesh of the monster. Fat and sinew fell to the ground, writhing and gradually attempting to crawl towards the main body once more.

    ¡°To kill a Nameless, it is a matter of causing irreversible damage to it.¡± He mimicked his notes, hundreds and hundreds of pieces of information he had gradually identified and jotted down into his notes. Such was the habit of a scribe.

    ¡°If that¡¯s such a key piece of information, why wasn¡¯t it told to us?¡± Midas scoffed, placing his hand against the fleshy leg of the Nameless, the runes on his palms flashing a bright emerald colour. The skin of the Nameless gradually began to shimmer, turning solid and luminescent - an elemental exchange. He had performed one of the key abilities of a second-Arisen Alchemist, an initiate.

    He punched forward with his gloved hand, the knuckles reinforced by steel. The soft gold cracked under the weight of his blow, the form of the Nameless falling to the ground before him.

    ¡°You were never supposed to fight against Nameless in the first place. To be a White Rose is to be a student, one who practices theory, not reality. You were supposed to gradually learn all there is to know about being a Heaven¡¯s Rose before being trained to do the real thing as a Blue Rose, like Meraline Avelis, who was sent to train you and herself at the same time.¡± Ainsworth replied, taking a puff of his cigarette.

    ¡°So, what changed?¡±

    ¡°The world changed, and I was blind to it. The higher-ups were blind to it. No one expected such an increase in activity from the Blasphemer Goddess. You were thrust into reality before you even had a chance to learn the theory. That is my fault. That is Heaven¡¯s Roses fault.¡±

    ¡°No, no one¡¯s at fault. Not for Ms. Avelis¡¯s death, not for our injuries, not anything. Don¡¯t let that weigh heavily on you. It¡¯s their fault, not ours.¡± Ramses spoke from behind them, wiping the blood from his blade. Behind him, the corpses of several Nameless Spiders had fallen, their writhing ceased, lifeless.

    The other White Roses eyes had widened after seeing such a sight. It suddenly became obvious to them that even though they had spent almost a year as life-and-death compatriots, they had barely scratched the surface of each other¡¯s character. Most mysterious was the man from the Sandsteppes, a barren sandy wasteland far-east of the neighboring continent of Baruunlan.

    He was a kind soul, but remained silent a majority of the time. It was as if he purposefully withheld his words.

    ¡®Has Ramses always been this strong? Even if these are weak newborns, how is it possible he could have killed so many in such a short time...?¡¯ Midas¡¯s eyes furrowed. Nicole had been a prisoner of the Phantom Syndicate, Ainsworth religiously-affiliated, and Cornifer a Nobleman. He knew none of them had served in the war. However, Ramses had none of those excuses, and it was likely that at one point, he had fought in the war. Since Midas had been a soldier, he might have even been Ramses¡¯s enemy on the battlefield. ¡®Brothers now, but perhaps enemies in the past¡­ how laughable the future can be.¡¯

    On the other side of the street, atop the opposing building, the Mythos Garden stood in awe at the coordination of the religious-affiliated group. All but Nicole, however.

    Nicole¡¯s eyes suddenly raised, coming to a realisation. ¡°I- I have to go!¡± He suddenly declared, removing the silver mask from his face. He had abandoned his White Rose cloak on the rafters of the show hall, and it was paramount that he retrieve it in time before rejoining his team. The other members of the Garden watched with surprise as Nicole took his leave so soon.

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    He raced across the roof until he reached the staircase, descending down into the rafter space where the intricacies of the show hall was managed. Atop the railing, his coat had been folded neatly. Nicole quickly threw it over his shoulders, making his way through the show hall until he emerged in the street below. It was important to reach them before the fight was over. He had already been gone too long, and feared suspicion. Not a single soul could take a bathroom break that would last the entirety of a battle.

    He ran through the front entrance of the building, the attendant already haven taken their leave in the heat of the conflict, racing up the steps until he reached the rooftop. Hearing the commotion of the door opening, the White Roses turned to greet their comrade.

    ¡°The fight¡¯s already over, little mage.¡± Ramses laughed. ¡°I hope your break was pleasant!¡±

    Nicole¡¯s eyebrow twitched, his face reddening in embarrassment. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be.¡± Ainsworth replied, throwing the remnants of his cigarette to the ground. ¡°Be happy the less you have to fight.¡±

    Down on the ground below the fight, the crowd had been corralled before the famous magician.

    Lumi¨¨re stood in front of the crowd on the staircase that led up to the show hall, a grin plastered on his expression. It was finally time to enact the final part of his plan.

    He could still sense their gazes, piercing, violent, bloodthirsty. He looked up towards a belltower in the distance, spotting two silhouettes standing high above all others. They looked regal, elegant, composed.

    ¡®So these are¡­ Phantoms.¡¯ Lumi¨¨re¡¯s mind raced. He didn¡¯t quite feel anger, nor did he feel afraid. It was a mixture of excitement and anticipation that churned in his heart. It was time to start his revenge against the people that had torn any semblance of light from his life.

    ¡°My dearest guests, I shall apologise on behalf of the Madame, of this lovely establishment, that your experience was so greatly tarnished by such a violent interruption.¡± Lumi¨¨re bowed sincerely to the audience. Each member was shaken, fearful of another occurrence, but also in awe of the magician that had seemingly saved them, and the two opposing groups atop the buildings that had vanquished the spider-like monsters.

    It was a unique mood. Off the tailcoats of a performance, there was tranquility, but facing the reality that there were monsters in their midst, they looked towards an uncertain future. And the only man they had ever seen kill such a beast, was also facing his final performance, leaving them alone to navigate their future.

    ¡°These creatures¡­ these beasts, they hide among us. They shape their faces to resemble that of a person, taking over that person¡¯s life and acting as them. Haven¡¯t you ever encountered someone strange, in such a way that it makes you question whether they¡¯re truly human or not!?¡±

    That revelation was truly terrifying. Beasts among them- perhaps their friends, comrades, their loved ones¡­ the mistrust that would be sown was irredeemable. Leiden, at least the middle borough, would see a despair it had never known before. As Lumi¨¨re spoke, seeing the gazes of the audience members, he felt the Despair within him accumulate fully.

    ¡®If it comes to it now, I can use the ¡®Despair¡¯ persona without too much repercussion. This was truly to my benefit.¡¯

    But his final performance wasn¡¯t yet over. There was still another goal he had to achieve.

    Lumi¨¨re directed the gazes of the audience, pointing to the figures in the distance.

    ¡°Those people, I believe they¡¯re responsible for these creatures attacks! Members of a powerful secret sect, they seek to kill us all!¡±

    The audience¡¯s gazes followed the magician¡¯s, spotting the figures standing on the belltower high above, looking down at them with piercing gazes. Such words would seem silly, almost outlandish in normal circumstances. But the people, they had seen things that night that seemed outlandish. Such words become more real with each passing moment, believable in their entirety.

    The crowd began to exclaim, fearful, but angered. They shouted curses at the figures, declaring their outrage.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t fear! These Phantoms- this Phantom Syndicate that threatens us, the Church of the Crown of Thorns and the Church of the Eternal Blueprint has taken it upon themselves to fight against these threats, to uncover the mystery that threatens the great people of Leiden!¡± As Lumi¨¨re declared such a thing, he raised his hands into the air, his expression almost inhuman. His exuberance resembled a Demon.

    There was a reason he had revealed the Phantoms to the people. It wasn¡¯t simply to make the public fear them as he had done by revealing the existence of the Nameless to them. By tying the Church¡¯s fight against the Nameless to the Phantom Syndicate, in the eyes of the people, he had created precedence that the Church was actively seeking to eliminate the Phantom Syndicate. Under the gaze of the commonpeople, the Church would be expected to cooperate with such an endeavour, or fear their repercussion.

    Because word spread quickly in Leiden, more and more would people become aware of this fact. If the Church were to declare Lumi¨¨re a false prophet of their intentions, the public would begin to wonder why the Church wasn¡¯t doing anything about such a threat. If they were to go along with Lumi¨¨re¡¯s words, but fail to take action against the Phantom Syndicate, then the people would attribute continued tragedy to the secret organisation, and blame the Church anyway. It was of paramount importance from that moment forward that the Church would seek to deal with the secret organisation.

    It wasn¡¯t as if they could truly punish Lumi¨¨re for doing such a thing either. Even if they wouldn¡¯t believe his claims of not knowing that the public shouldn¡¯t know of the Nameless, or the Phantoms for that matter, his fame was a shield. The public loved him, adored him. Now, due to his stepping in the way of their tragedy by defeating the Nameless Spiders, their was precedence for him to become a hero in their eyes. If he were to be punished, Nicole would learn of it. Then, he was sure that the Mythos Garden would learn of it. And using their connections, he was sure that Juno and Zelia would spread the word, and outrage would fester.

    Even if he were to die, he was sure that the pieces he had put into place would act on the demise of the Phantom Syndicate.

    It was the true master plan behind his performance, one he had crafted from the very beginning. He knew that the Phantom Syndicate would appear when chaos was rife. That was their modus operandi. Having revealed himself and the Mythos Garden to the powerful figure backing the secret organisation, he was absolutely sure that they would appear. So, it was just a matter of slipping the pieces into place.

    His final performance was never just about moving the people. It was about moving the entire orthodoxy to action.

    That was the masterpiece of a career liar.

 Chapter 88: Onto greater things

    The White Roses descended from the rooftop, waltzing out of the front entrance with exhaustion plastered on their faces. Lumi¨¨re stood, waiting for them in the street. After conversing with members of the audience, he had stood by the wayside, entering his meditative state while standing, sending illusory murmurs to each member of the Mythos Garden, telling them to scatter.

    ¡°Lumi¨¨re, that was fantastic! How did you manage to survive that fall?¡± Ramses laughed, patting him on the back.

    Lumi¨¨re shrugged. ¡°A magician never reveals the secrets of his tricks.¡±

    ¡°Still, that was great.¡± Ainsworth smiled. ¡°I really thought you had died.¡± He lurched forward, embracing his friend.

    ¡°I won¡¯t die before you.¡± Lumi¨¨re hugged Ainsworth back. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t trust anyone but me with your funeral.¡±

    Ainsworth looked up at Lumi¨¨re, his eyes widening, serious. ¡°You better not bury me, Lumi¨¨re. I refuse to be eaten by worms. Burn my body and eat the ashes.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re grimaced. ¡°Eat the ashes? You would ask that much of me?¡±

    Ainsworth shrugged. ¡°You said not to trust anyone but you, after all. Can¡¯t you do this much for a friend?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re messing with me.¡±

    Ainsworth winked in response. Suddenly, they heard clamoring coming from the audience. In the street, several men dressed in white robes appeared. They had ornate decorations of blue roses on the back and shoulder of their cloaks. Between them, a familiar man had appeared. He had gold decorum lining his cloak, which had the pattern of two gold wings on it. It was Selaphiel, the Archangel in charge of Leiden.

    ¡®It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve last seen him. I wonder how strong he is in comparison to Thomas¡­ he gives off the same terrifyingly inhuman aura.¡¯

    ¡°Lumi¨¨re Croft, come with me. I have some questions for you.¡± Selaphiel spoke as soon as he had approached, gesturing to the building that the White Roses had appeared from.

    Lumi¨¨re looked towards the White Roses, who also seemed surprised by the sudden event, shrugging.

    The two walked through the door together, entering an office behind the desk where the attendant had previously fled from.

    ¡°What questions must you ask me, Sir?¡±

    Selaphiel turned to him, his gaze fierce underneath the dim orange lamplight. ¡°You revealed the existence of the Nameless to the people of the middle borough. Soon, word will spread to the lower and high boroughs. Do you know the fear that will sow?¡±

    ¡°I thought it necessary that they know of such a danger.¡±

    ¡°We were keeping it secret for a reason. Where did you gain the idea that it was your right to tell them?¡± His usually-calm and serene deep voice had an underlying tone of fury.

    ¡°Should we continue to leave them in the dark, to operate without the knowledge that their lives may be in danger?¡±

    ¡°Not knowing was a crucial element in keeping them safe. How do you think they will look at their loved ones now? Now, they can¡¯t help but feel an odd suspicion towards every strange thing that they do. How long until others are vilified, until they face the injustice of others who suspect them, hung up in the streets like criminals?¡±

    ¡°Like wretches who belong far below the rest?¡± Lumi¨¨re grinned.

    Selaphiel¡¯s shock was apparent. He shut his mouth, turning his gaze away. ¡°You allude to the lower borough. I won¡¯t lie and say that this city¡¯s system operates in a horrid manner, but that shouldn¡¯t pervade the work we do, Mr. Croft. We should protect as many people as we can, no matter who they are.¡±

    ¡®Your true personality has begun to show, Mr. Archangel. Who knew you were actually such a kind-hearted individual. However, I¡¯m not remotely interested in protecting everyone. I only wish to protect the people I truly care for.¡¯

    ¡°And yet, the middle borough shall flourish. Have you forgotten that the Nameless aren¡¯t the only force that has increased in the past few years? I speak of a particular group obsessed with order, with the weight of the Emperor and Justiciar¡¯s will backing them.¡±

    ¡°The Peacekeepers, you mean.¡±

    ¡°The very same.¡±

    ¡°So you mean to say that you operated under the assumption that the middle and high boroughs would remain in order simply because we have the presence of the Peacekeepers? That¡¯s quite a gamble, but I suppose its plausible. Then, what about the lower borough?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t pretend to care for us wretches from the waters. Even if you had a heart that beats for those below, you obviously lack the knowledge that surrounds them. When has life ever been anything but dangerous? Do you think that those wretches live a life that is anything but filled with suspicion for others? In that stacked city of slums, where crime runs rampant, everyone is a Nameless to each other. The news of monsters will change nothing at all.¡±

    ¡°So in your eyes, this plan was always flawless in its outcome?¡± Selaphiel questioned.

    ¡°No plan is flawless in its outcome. But I am no man who leaves things to stagnant. I tie off the loose ends. If any problem arose, I would have fixed it.¡±

    The Archangel sat down in the chair across from Lumi¨¨re, prompting him to do the same. He relaxed slightly, gaining back his usual serene calmness.

    ¡°During that performance of yours, you were seen with a woman.¡° Selaphiel spoke, leaning on his hand. ¡°An assistant of yours? Something to do with your magic trick, perhaps?¡±

    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    Lumi¨¨re¡¯s eyes widened. ¡®Did he always know that? Why has he been talking of pointless things with me when he¡¯s already made that connection? Fuck. I¡¯ve never used an assistant in the history of my act. He could easily corroborate that fact by speaking with any one of my repeat audience members.¡¯

    ¡°No. She¡¯s a Nameless.¡± Lumi¨¨re suddenly revealed a key incriminating detail.

    Selaphiel¡¯s eyes widened. ¡®Did I hear that correctly?¡¯

    ¡°Sorry, can you repeat that?¡±

    ¡°I said she was a Nameless.¡±

    ¡®He¡¯s been surveilling me... Does Thomas know of this? Has he made any attempts to mask my identity? If my being the ¡®Beacon¡¯ of Lord Sinner is so important, he should be doing everything he can to keep that a secret. I¡¯ll have to ask him next time I see him¡­¡¯

    Selaphiel¡¯s eyebrows furrowed. ¡°What were you doing associating with a Nameless?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that at the time. Of course, observing me as you do, you should know I have a penchant for women.¡± Lumi¨¨re shrugged.

    Of course, that was an easy thing for Lumi¨¨re to determine. After all, he had been atop the rooftop, away from the view of the street when he had parted ways with Cecilia. After she had retrieved the rest of the Nameless and brought them over to the Show Hall, she had hidden herself away. There was no way he could have known that they had been seen together if he had not been watching them.

    ¡®Still, how can I find out if he saw her reappear when she brought the remaining Nameless to the Show Hall? As it stands, can I say that I killed her after I found out she was a Nameless? If Selaphiel or whoever he had spying on me at that time saw her once more, that lie will fall apart. And who¡¯s to say that was the only time that I was being watched? Is it possible that they¡¯ve seen me use my Heretic abilities when we were on the Eighteenth floor of Etten-leur? No, this would have been impossible. The staircase is the only way up that far. We would have spotted anyone following us, I¡¯m sure of it. I don¡¯t yet know of any powers that conceal the presence of another person, apart from a Heretic¡¯s illusion. However, something tells me that this Archangel wouldn¡¯t associate with someone who uses the power of Heresy¡­¡¯

    ¡°Did you enjoy the show?¡± Lumi¨¨re questioned him, a pleasant smile crossing his face. There was a point in switching the subject. It related to prop up his obvious ability to defeat such creatures.

    ¡°I did. It was wonderful to see someone of your stature defeat a beast twice your size, even if it was just a newborn.¡±

    ¡°I did the same to her. I killed that woman after I discovered she was Nameless.¡± Lumi¨¨re shrugged.

    ¡°Really? If she was able to hold such a perfect human form, then she was matured, at the very least. How did you manage to kill a beast that it would take at least two trained Red Roses to kill?¡±

    ¡®Is that really the case? I wonder what the maturity stage of that one that me and Ainsworth killed was? It seems feasible that I could kill it using Lord Sinner¡¯s abilities, like when I fought my first beast, but at that time, I was concealing my abilities from Ainsworth¡¯s view. Is it possible that as a Blue Rose, he is as strong as at least three Fledgling magic users? When did he grow so strong out of my sight? That Labyrinth that non card-holding magic users must face, did he really go through it so quickly? Was this the drive that Elise¡¯s death gave him?¡¯

    ¡®Moreover, it was once mentioned that it would take three red Roses to kill a Named, a creature like Asmodeus. Has the criteria change so suddenly? Has something happened to the internal structure of Heaven¡¯s Roses? Is it due to the increase of Nameless?¡¯

    ¡°I got lucky.¡±

    ¡°I doubt that very much. An unfortunate person like you doesn¡¯t strike me as the type to come out of such a stringent situation intact. What really happened, Mr. Croft?¡±

    ¡®Is Selaphiel the type to care about such things? Perhaps this can be my way out. I doubt the punishment for this is much in comparison to being discovered as the associate of a Nameless or the servant of an Evil Deity.¡¯ Lumi¨¨re reached into his jacket, procuring Cerces from his underarm holster before holding it up to show Selaphiel. The Archangel reached out his hand, accepting the firearm, eyeing the ornate etchings and runes on its surface.

    ¡°An enchanted weapon? Do you have a license for such a thing, Mr. Croft?¡±

    Lumi¨¨re shrugged. ¡°It seemed I found myself embroiled in such a dangerous life. I¡¯m not a user of magic. I thought it necessary.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps.¡± The Archangel handed the weapon back to him.

    ¡°Father Benedict said it well himself. We White Roses- we were never meant to find ourselves fighting these things.¡±

    Selaphiel nodded his head. ¡°In recent times, the rise of the number of Nameless that populate Leiden has led to a number of unfortunate casualties. We¡¯ve found ourselves shorthanded. It was necessary to make use of you. However, I can admit that we of a higher echelon were shortsighted as to what you could handle. I won¡¯t punish you for going to your own lengths to protect yourself and your comrades. I just hope you¡¯ll seek a proper license for it as soon as possible. We have no sway over the laws of this city.¡±

    ¡®So that¡¯s what happened. Because there¡¯s less Heaven¡¯s Roses, that means that the general skill level has decreased. So, the terms of killing certain maturities of Nameless has also become increasingly dangerous.¡¯

    ¡®Will you not ask me where I got it?¡±

    ¡°I know of your affiliations with a certain¡­ illegal organisation. It¡¯s not a stretch to imagine where you procured such an item.¡±

    Selaphiel suddenly switched his line of questioning.

    ¡°How did you come to know of the Phantom Syndicate?¡±

    ¡°I believe they were responsible for the death of my¡­ friend.¡± Lumi¨¨re responded casually. ¡°As well as the death of many Dwindlers- no, needy.¡±

    ¡°We believe that event was something they were responsible for as well.¡±

    ¡°I first encountered their name when speaking with an associate of mine.¡± He was sure to be vague, but there was no reason to completely withhold the truth.

    ¡°Right, another of your associates. Likely of the type that people like I should be wary of.¡± Selaphiel grinned.

    However, he didn¡¯t chastise or berate Lumi¨¨re for such a thing. In fact, his next proposition left Lumi¨¨re shocked.

    ¡°Do you want to investigate into this matter?¡± Selaphiel had two reasons for asking this. Despite his suspicion of Lumi¨¨re Croft, he knew that the man was capable, able to think on his feet. He thought that if he were to send the man to investigate into the secret organisation, there was some semblance of a chance that he would turn something up. Secondly, it was a fact that he had been embroiled in their meddling on two occurrences now. It was clear that Lumi¨¨re Croft was under their sights for some odd reason, likely pertaining to the secret that he was hiding. If he were to send in Lumi¨¨re Croft, even if he wasn¡¯t able to find anything, there was a high chance that the Phantom Syndicate would appear again.

    Selaphiel wanted to use Lumi¨¨re as bait to draw out the dangerous individuals.

    This was partly what he was able to determine during the game he had played with the magician and the nobleman previously.

    ¡°I was already planning on doing such a thing. Do you mean to say that you will sponsor my investigation?¡±

    ¡°The Peacekeepers are aware of our organisation and the work that we do. You¡¯ll be given official identification. The Red Roses are currently busy tracking down the Named in Leiden. We can only afford to hand it to you. I trust you won¡¯t disappoint us.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re nodded. ¡®Damn, that trickster bastard. I thought that my plan would force the Church to cooperate in the investigation into the Phantom Syndicate, but all he¡¯s done is hand that responsibility right back to me, veiled as a reward for my actions. What a cunning man.¡¯

    ¡®Still, it changes nothing. I¡¯ll find out who they are, what they want, and how I can best tear them down.¡¯

    Selaphiel stood up from his seat, buttoning his coat up. ¡°That¡¯s enough questions, Mr. Croft. You¡¯ve satisfied me for now.¡±

    ¡°Good day.¡± Lumi¨¨re bid his goodbyes, exiting the building.

    As soon as he exited, he felt a slight change within himself. He immediately knew the reason. One of the last pillars of ¡®Lumi¨¨re Croft¡¯ had died that night- a performer. With his new prospects of looking into the Phantom Syndicate, having finished his final performance, his old life had left him completely.

    ¡®Onto greater things¡­¡¯

 Chapter 89: Soldier

    After Lumi¨¨re had rejoined the White Roses, they flagged down two carriages. Lumi¨¨re, Ainsworth, Nicole, and Cornifer got into the first carriage, and Ramses and Midas into the second.

    As soon as the door of the carriage had been closed, Lumi¨¨re shut his eyes tight. Without worry that the others may be watching, Lumi¨¨re fell into a meditative state, appearing in the endless darkness of his mind, marked by the presence of the ancient stone wall and several others.

    He ignored his personalities, who seemed to rave endlessly with their opinions over his previous actions and sat down on the cold floor of the abyss. He reached out into the empty air, grasping hold of illusory red strings that weren¡¯t previously there. Lumi¨¨re instinctively activated Illusory Murmurs, causing his thoughts to reverberate through the strands, directed towards his subordinates.

    In the distance, each member of the Mythos Garden heard his words ring out, even Nicole, who sat across from him. Because the seal of the contract was bound to him, it didn¡¯t sound out into the open air, rather in their heads. Each one, saving for Nicole, echoed the same sentiment. ¡®May the Garden flourish.¡¯

    When Lumi¨¨re opened his eyes once more, he realised everyone was staring straight at him. His face adopted a sense of nervousness, and he questioned their behaviour.

    ¡°What? Do I have something on my face?¡±

    ¡°Did you get chastised by that Archangel?¡± Cornifer asked, unusually excited. It was surprising for him to be the one to speak out, so Lumi¨¨re was taken aback.

    ¡°Ah, no. I actually got a promotion, I suppose.¡± Lumi¨¨re scratched at his cheek, laughing

    Cornifer¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Ah, so the little dove has finally been recognised by the top brass. So, what duties are you going to take on now?¡±

    Lumi¨¨re put a finger to his lips. ¡°It¡¯s a secret.¡±

    In the other carriage, Midas sat silently, awaiting his comrade. With no more room in the first carriage, it was certain that Ramses would join him, alone.

    As soon as Ramses sat in the seat opposite Midas, the golden-haired man shut the door with his gloved hands, eyeing the Easterner with suspicion. Ramses immediately noticed this, an unsettling chill rushing through his body.

    ¡°You fought with such skill.¡± Midas spoke in a cold, calm tone.

    ¡°Why thank you, my friend.¡± Ramses smiled genially. ¡°I appreciate your praise.¡±

    ¡°Stop smiling. Just answer my questions from this moment forward.¡±

    Ramses, curious and surprised, nodded his head.

    ¡°How did you suddenly obtain the prowess necessary to eliminate so many creatures in such a short time by yourself?¡±

    Ramses shrugged. ¡°I had a revelation.¡±

    ¡°Or you had prior experience that you¡¯ve been pretending not to. I doubt a man with your skill would have lost several of your fingers during battle. If the plan was to strengthen and continue a facade, I could believe it.¡±

    Hearing this, Ramses¡¯s genial smile melted away. ¡°So, what conclusion have you come to, comrade?¡±

    ¡°You were a soldier- no, the soldier. Were you there on that night¡­ when the sea took shape once more¡­? Did you spill the blood that became waves?¡±

    There was silence between them for a moment. Ramses¡¯s relaxed attitude became stiff, constantly aware. ¡°Correct.¡±

    ¡°Why? Why hide for so long, knowing I was once your enemy?¡±

    ¡°I was a monk¡­ I followed the teachings of the Living Tree Saint. The way of Self, it¡¯s called. Simple, but that¡¯s the heart of it. Living isn¡¯t so hard. Nothing is ever so serious that anger becomes necessary. Be alike to the wind, they say¡­¡±

    ¡°Cut the shit, Ramses.¡±

    He chuckled. ¡°I killed a man, Midas. Not in the way a soldier would, cleanly. It was violent, messy. It did not contribute to that sea of blood, but it did stain my hands¡­¡±

    Midas¡¯s grave expression faltered, his eyes widening slightly. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I cut out his heart and spilled the vestiges of his life on the ground. I bruised his flesh for days beforehand, and even then his screams gave no pleasure. I thought it would be kinder, morally righteous to preserve his agony. I thought maybe that the pain would guide him back to the Way, and I was wrong, oh how wrong I knew I was. Torment was undeniable, how does one struggle knowing their obedience to man¡¯s command would lead to a friend¡¯s suffering?¡±

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

    Ramses laughed slightly, coldly. ¡°Where is a killer to go? Back to his peaceful Way? How does he face the Senior Monks who told him to do such a disgraceful thing? Respectfully? Should I have killed off my emotions, my hatred and my dismay? I did, but not before I killed them.¡±

    ¡°You killed them?¡±

    ¡°It was slaughter. Monks of the Way do not fight. They have never raised a fist against another, it¡¯s just not in their nature. It felt necessary. But the nature of a Monk falls to the nature of Man, violence. It was definitely why they commanded me to kill my friend. It was definitely that nature that caused me to become like this.¡± A cold, unnerving grin curled up his lips.

    He raised his hand, his palms stained a darker colour than his skin.

    ¡°But a Government does not know criminals. An army does not know peaceful men. They only know killers. They accepted me as I was, crimson-stained.¡±

    ¡°You were always putting up a front, weren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°I realised that a command from a prophet like that is no will of righteousness, it is the will of man that ruins, and so from the start I was hiding an emptiness that I could not fill.¡± Ramses replied. ¡°So, yes. I was once a soldier. I was once your enemy.¡±

    Midas shot forward, grabbing Ramses¡¯s collar and slamming him against the back wall of the carriage, causing it to tremble violently.

    ¡°Why!?¡± Midas¡¯s expression fully fell away, revealing a remnant hatred, a vestige that had long despised those others that lie past the sea of War¡¯s blood. ¡°We¡¯ve been together for a year, Ramses! A year! You didn¡¯t tell anyone of your past affiliations!? Does Ainsworth know? Did- did Meraline know? How about the upper brass? Do they know!?¡±

    Ramses¡¯s eyes grew dead, absent of personality, looking down at Midas. ¡°Did it ever matter?¡±

    ¡°It does! You know what I left behind on that field of red! You know how it continues to torment you. You were the one who smiled and told me it would be okay! That I would be okay! Were you lying then? Why did you comfort me!? Was it pity, or the plot of someone who sees me as an enemy? Do you harbor hatred for me and our comrades, born in a nation that slaughtered yours!? One day, will you decide to take your revenge? Who will you kill first¡­ who will you follow that Will of Man towards?¡±

    ¡°I was a peaceful person¡­ once. Then I gradually became infected by the turmoil of war. I was a soldier¡­ once. Then I gradually became infected by the trauma of war. I was your enemy, once, but I became infected by your friendship, and so I began to think of us as friends, comrades.¡±

    ¡°All lies. Speak of a void of emptiness and then of friendship, how could you correlate the two?¡± Midas spat in his face. Through his gloves, the runes on the palms of his hands began to glow a bright emerald colour, and gradually, the collar of Ramses¡¯s shirt began to glimmer gold. ¡°Answer my question. On that night, that final, horrid night, were you that soldier¡­? A man of a thousand kills, a sniper lying in plain sight, were you the one we despised?"

    Ramses scoffed. ¡°You called me ¡®Certain Death¡¯.¡±

    Hearing those words, Midas recoiled his other fist, slamming his knuckles against Ramses¡¯s jaw. The impact caused blood to spatter on the Alchemist¡¯s face, but that was something he had long grown used to.

    For a moment, the two locked eyes, deadness and malice intermingling. Breathing heavy, the carriage felt hot and stuffy. The rage that churned in Midas¡¯s heart was momentarily quelled, his greatest strength suppressing his instinct.

    ¡°That¡¯s one.¡± Midas spoke callously.

    ¡°One?¡± Ramses questioned, grinning. Crimson dripped down towards his chin, but he did not reach up to wipe it away, or to defend himself from Midas¡¯s strike. He punched the quiet soldier once more, unable to keep from letting out a pained yet amused groan.

    ¡°Two.¡± Midas¡¯s tone had grown calmer.

    ¡°Why are you counting? To what end?¡±

    ¡°Nine-hundred and ninety-eight more to go. Then we can become comrades once more.¡±

    Ramses laughed. ¡°What is this, vengeance for all of the people I killed? You still want to be friends? After hearing all of that? I killed your friends. I killed all of your comrades. That night, I was the one who orchestrated your biggest loss. The night of spilled silver, don¡¯t you remember?¡±

    ¡°I do remember. But my questions have been answered. Nothing changes this past year we all spent together.¡±

    ¡°But I was always putting on a facade.¡± Ramses protested.

    ¡°Perhaps. Still, let¡¯s be friends.¡±

    Midas punched Ramses in the jaw once more, hearing something crack. This caused Ramses to recoil, finally lifting a hand to touch at his face out of instinct.

    ¡°Why-¡° he spoke painfully, ¡°why are you trying to repair this so hard? Shouldn¡¯t I vanish or be killed? Why are you purposefully suppressing your rage, your habit as a soldier?¡±

    ¡°I want to kill you. But I feel that would be pointless, so long after war has ended. From the moment I entered this carriage, my intent was never to destroy this bond between us, false or real. I only wanted answers. I¡¯m choosing to stay steadfast in my initial intentions. Let¡¯s remain comrades, Ramses.¡±

    Midas swung towards Ramses once more, but the man spoke out in reply.

    ¡°Do you love me, Ramses?¡±

    This caused Midas to hesitate in his swing, his fist hovering above Ramses¡¯s face. Ramses grinned.

    ¡°Ah¡­ have I finally struck something? But I don¡¯t think it¡¯s me your heart beats for. You¡¯ve never shown interest towards me¡­ rather, you¡¯ve never shown outward interest towards anyone. That must mean it can¡¯t be anyone we work with. Then, if it was me who reminded you of it, was it during the war that you once loved? A soldier perhaps?¡±

    Ramses sighed loudly.

    ¡°Was it someone I killed?¡±

    Midas struck him in the nose, causing blood to drip rapidly from his nostrils.

    ¡°That¡¯s three.¡±

    Midas¡¯s gaze had steeled itself. ¡°Stop trying to provoke me. I intend to keep the White Roses together. I know it has helped Nicole recover from his past, a victim of evil ambition. It definitely helped Cornifer recover from being rejected by his own blood, a deposed Noble. I know that the Roses have allowed Mr. Ainsworth to throw himself into his work after tragedy, the same for Lumi¨¨re Croft. For me¡­ it¡¯s allowed me to forget all that happened to me during war, what happened to those I cared for. If you¡¯re keen on tearing that apart now, breaking free from this false mask of yours, I¡¯ll beat that intent out of you. Then we can go back to normal.¡±

    ¡°But what if this mask is killing me slowly?¡±

    ¡°Then die. But die while everyone else is happy.¡±

    Midas struck the man once more.

    ¡°Nine-Hundred and Ninety-six to go.¡±

 Chapter 90: Dual symbols of war

    ¡°Your performance, it reminded me of something I used to enjoy when I was a child. It was wonderful.¡± Cornifer was staring out the window, an unusually warm smile on his face.

    Seeing that Nicole and Ainsworth had become conversing, Lumi¨¨re decided to humour his strange behaviour.

    ¡°Do you think so?¡±

    Cornifer nodded. ¡°Before my father and mother forgot they were capable of love, they would often take me to carnivals. One of my favourites is a traveling group, commedia dell¡¯arte. I think they tend to perform in the East these days, but when it was brighter in the capital, it was a wonderful event to behold. The festivals in Leiden cannot match even a fifth of its splendor¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m glad you were able to receive a feeling like that. It¡¯s partly the reason I became a magician in the first place.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re followed Cornifer¡¯s gaze out of the window, but it was clear he had been staring at nothing at all, lost in his thoughts.

    ¡°Why do you imagine your parents forgot to love you?¡± Lumi¨¨re posed the question with a curious inflection.

    ¡°For Lower Noble Houses, a war over succession is inevitable. The losers will be cast out, if not killed outright, and the winner shall reign after their father dies. With two older brothers, both twins, it was clear that I would be killed off quickly. I was deposed by my parents, thinking it useless to keep me in the fight. Who would back a clear loser, a fool who can only take notes¡­?¡±

    ¡°Then, isn¡¯t it quite possible that deposing you was out of love?¡±

    Cornifer¡¯s eyebrow twitched. ¡°How can that be a possibility? Do parents often rid themselves of their children?¡±

    ¡°No, but from what I understand, they do tend to keep the ones they love as far away from harm as they can-¡°

    As Lumi¨¨re spoke, images and memories of his mother flashed through his mind. He adopted a hurt grin, continuing.

    ¡°So don¡¯t you think it¡¯s quite possible that after they saw you had no chance in a succession war, they sent you far away to make certain that you wouldn¡¯t be caught up in the conflict?¡±

    ¡°Stop!¡± Cornifer suddenly shouted. He grimaced, turning his gaze as far away from Lumi¨¨re as he could, a pouting noble. It was possible that he was overwhelmed by the possibility that he might not have grounds to hate his own parents.

    This caught the attention of Nicole and Ainsworth, who turned towards them to gauge the commotion, but it had ended as soon as it had started.

    ¡°Just mull over it, Cornifer. Things aren¡¯t always as they first seem.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re steeled his gaze, leaning on his hand. After an event such as his final performance, it was time to set forth another meeting of the Mythos Garden.

    ¡ª¡ª

    The carriage was stained with crimson, as if a bloodbath had occurred within. Ramses¡¯s face was severely bruised, and several teeth had fallen to the carriage floor.

    But that was no mind. Ramses knew that Midas would heal him. As always. That was just the inclination of an Alchemist. Even despite his rough and crude exterior, he was bound to his greater will.

    Healing at his level, a Second-Arisen, wasn¡¯t much a matter of renewing flesh, but rearranging it, like a very detailed reorganisation. To heal small wounds, it was just a matter of pulling skin and muscle cells from elsewhere within the body. In large quantities, to prevent issues, those cells would be pulled from all over the body, to ensure there was no visible shortage in any areas.

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    It was unlike the Nameless, who renewed their flesh based on several outside factors. Human bodies weren¡¯t capable of such grandiose things. It was only because Alchemy was in their reach that they could think to do such a thing. Usually, most Hospital Wards in main Cathedrals would have an Alchemist stationed there, but in recent times, where there was a shortage on Heaven¡¯s Roses, it had become uncommon.

    Things had calmed down between Ramses and Midas, and the two sat in silence as Midas brushed his emerald-glowing hand over Ramses¡¯s wounds, working meticulously. That was just the effect of their reconciliation, back to being comrades once more. Unable to parse the silence, Ramses spoke out, unable to meet his comrade¡¯s gaze.

    ¡°Where did you first gain your abilities, your powers as an alchemist?¡±

    ¡°War.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but from where?¡± Ramses laughed.

    ¡°The soldier.¡±

    Ramses¡¯s eyes widened. There were two people that were thought to be terrors to war. They were people who had directly or indirectly influenced large battles on war, despite the orders of their superiors that may have conflicted otherwise. They were people with incredible charisma, liked by the whole of their platoons, with enough influence to sway their actions.

    For Ramses, this sway was based on his innate combat prowess that he had been able to showcase time and time again. For the figure on the opposing side, it was based on his proficient use of his resources and his ability to quickly establish connections with high ranking figures. It was his innate charisma, his thinking, and his plotting that allowed him to influence his comrades and turn the tides of certain key battles.

    Despite their ranks as lowly soldiers, these two rose above their stations, like players sitting on opposite ends of a chessboard. They had never met each other, but they had definitely recognised each other.

    ¡°He was like you, the symbol that the soldiers heralded when fighting. He was the Craziest Merchant of War.¡±

    ¡°Craziest Merchant of War¡­  a merchant of death.¡± Ramses ruminated pleasantly, recalling the memories of his past. ¡°Do you remember the battle over Levaveil?¡±

    ¡°It was one of your greatest losses, wasn¡¯t it?¡±

    Ramses shrugged. ¡°Perhaps that was the fault of my superiors. How can I be blamed for a loss, a lowly soldier like I?¡± His gaze deepened, reminiscing. ¡°Still, it was a wonderful tactic he used¡­ after eight months of rotting in those trenches, everyone had been starved of motivation to continue¡­ death, it seemed like a blessing.¡±

    Midas stopped the healing process for a moment, turning his focus up towards Ramses. ¡°And? What about it? I would rather not remember the intricate details of that battle.¡±

    ¡°I almost won it.¡±

    Midas scoffed. ¡°You were run down. How did you almost win that?"

    ¡°I had a spy in your camp.¡±

    ¡°And what was he meant to do? Feed you information? How did you communicate over such a large expanse of hellish terrain?¡± Midas was taken aback.

    ¡°No, he only had one instruction.¡± Ramses chuckled. ¡°He was supposed to get close to the Captain of your company, where he would then blow himself up using a concealed explosive I fashioned.¡±

    ¡°So he was to kill himself alongside the Captain? Wouldn¡¯t that have just bolstered our motivation? How is that a good plan?¡±

    Ramses nodded. ¡°Yes. That would have been a terrible plan. I knew the one really pulling the strings of the infantry soldiers was the Craziest Merchant, anyway. But I didn¡¯t know who he was. No one on our side did. That was why it was a plan to further demoralise your side instead. The spy was carrying delirus mortalis.¡±

    Delirus mortalis was a disease that had long fostered despair in the Forger Empire, a disease that would slowly spread to one¡¯s mind and cause them to fall to madness. It was the primary reason as to why a large section of the lower borough had been cordoned off in order to establish a sterile zone, where the sick and contagious were sent to die.

    Midas¡¯s gaze shook, coming to a realisation. ¡°I see! Your intent wasn¡¯t just to kill the Captain, it was to kill him in a gradual crazed state, causing his image to further demoralise our infantry! The blood splatter from the proximity of your spy¡¯s plan would have infected him, and we would be forced to slowly watch our Captain suffer from afar as to not contract the disease ourself. But why did such a plan fail?¡±

    ¡°It took too long.¡± Ramses shrugged. ¡°If it were the case that he had a few more days before he was to succumb to the disease, it would have worked perfectly, and we would have won the battle over Levaveil. However, his increasingly detrimental state was noticed by one of your soldiers, and he was forcibly taken to your sick ward in order to keep infection from spreading. Of course, he died soon after, and the plan failed.¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you try again? I¡¯m sure you had time.¡±

    ¡°It takes a long time to get a spy to infiltrate successfully, comrade.¡± Ramses¡¯s expression became warm once more.

    ¡°Hah, perhaps. If the spy was taken to the sick ward, where did the bomb end up?¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ I was supposed to deliver it to him. After all, shouldn¡¯t the mastermind of a plan take charge? But since he was taken to the sick ward, the plan fell through, and I was captured.¡±

    ¡°You were captured?¡±

    Ramses put a finger to his lips, grinning. ¡°That¡¯s a story for another time.¡±

 Chapter 91: Bow

    In the morning, Lumi¨¨re entered a meditative state, using his illusory murmurs on the red strands of the abyss to signal the members of the Mythos Garden of an approaching meeting.

    Alerted of this, Nicole had already awoken in the middle of the night and dressed himself, standing at the front door of the monastery. The White Roses had finally settled back into the monastery after their stay at the hospital.

    Lumi¨¨re descended the steps from the top floor, nodding towards Nicole. ¡°Did you remember to bring that card?¡± He spoke in a low, hushed tone, as to not alert anyone else within the monastery.

    Nicole nodded his head gently, and so with preparations made, they adjourned into the night. However, instead of ascending the flowering steps towards the middle borough, they continued walking further into Cobbler¡¯s street.

    After all, it wasn¡¯t like there was any set entrance for the House of Cards. It was wherever one wanted it to be, wherever one expected it to be.

    As they walked, Lumi¨¨re raised a hand to his face. It immediately caught fire, bright silver flame dancing on his skin. Gradually, Lumi¨¨re¡¯s hair began to turn a bright-white colour, his irises glimmering violet. Noticing this, Nicole questioned the sudden change.

    ¡°Why did you suddenly change your appearance, Lumi¨¨re?¡±

    Lumi¨¨re looked over towards Nicole, meeting his eyes. His gaze had transformed as well. It was colder, more cunning. It sent shivers down Nicole¡¯s spine, and he quickly realised the ¡®why¡¯ of the matter. It was because the Demon of the Garden had emerged.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Demon. I didn¡¯t mean to speak out of line.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Capulet. I thought it would be easier for you all to tell if I distinguished myself from the One of Spades. Don¡¯t you think so?¡±

    Nicole nodded his head. ¡°It¡¯s very thoughtful of you, Mr. Demon. I¡¯m sure the others will appreciate it.¡±

    There was a true reason behind the change in his appearance. This was due to the fact that ¡®Ophelia, Demon of the Garden¡¯ could not be distinguished from his base persona. He had to take every measure to flesh out his Demon¡¯s character so that he could turn it into a true persona, able to use it in a tight pinch to alleviate madness. While using such an important character to do so was not optimal, he needed every contingency to be prepared for the worst of cases.

    They walked until they reached a door secluded from the rest of the street, walking down a long alleyway in order to reach it. As he expected, there was a familiar attendant waiting at the edge of the doorway, a quaint and pleasant smile on his face.

    The two presented their cards, the One of Spades and One of Clubs, before being allowed to proceed into the depths of the House of Cards. Trailing behind Mr. Demon, Nicole began to glance around at the people that had gathered within. He had concluded that there were always at least a few dozen present, although he did not understand why.

    No matter who it was that was present, they all seemed to stare in the direction of Lumi¨¨re Croft. Even if he disguised his appearance, he made it clear who he was by stopping the suppression on his aura, the foul black smog that enveloped a heretic.

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    ¡®Why is Mr. Joker still not present? Is he away on business, or is it the case that I¡¯ve just been coming at the times that he isn¡¯t here? I would think a convener would be here often, but I suppose not¡­¡¯

    He willingly ignored the malicious gazes of the House of Card¡¯s guests, waltzing through one of the doors on the left, the meeting room that had been reserved for him by Mr. Joker. Inside its decadent interior, he noticed that the ornate wooden table in the center had been removed, besides the chairs that had been placed in two rows on both sides of the room. At the head of the room, atop a platform with several polished stairs, a regal high-back throne sat.

    Lumi¨¨re¡¯s eye twitched.

    ¡®Why is it that these fools always take the initiative to do something embarrassing?¡¯ He sighed inwardly.

    He looked towards the three members of the Mythos Garden that had already taken their seats on either side of the room, nodding his head slightly to acknowledge them. In return, they all stood up, watching patiently as he walked towards the staircase at the head of the room.

    Lumi¨¨re ascended several steps, taking a seat on the ornate high-back throne, leaning his head on his hand casually. ¡®How did they even change the format of the meeting room? Did they have to make a request to Mr. Joker and exchange something? No, even if that¡¯s the case¡­ how were they allowed to make changes to my personal meeting room? Bastards¡­¡¯

    As the Mythos Garden stared at the Demon on the throne, they felt warmth surge up in their hearts. It was as if for the final time, they had been enthralled by the presence and loftiness of the powerful figure. Having seen his prowess acted out through his vessel, the One of Spades, they became wholly sure that his commission was possible. Under his leadership, they could definitely accomplish their goals.

    All at once, the members of the Mythos Garden bent down on one knee, bowing their heads towards the Demon of the Garden, Ophelia.

    ¡°What is this?¡± Lumi¨¨re questioned in a carefree tone of voice. Despite his acting, he had been flustered by the sudden shown of respect. He had to make a visible effort to control his facial expression.

    ¡°We were moved by your actions during the final performance of One of Spades, Mr. Ophelia. Forgive me for saying this¡­ but I was¡­ unsure of your leadership. So many years have left me with so many doubts. But the careful planning and execution that was exhibited¡­ I wish to pledge my true fealty to you, one that transcends this contract of ours.¡± Juno was the first to speak out. The Craziest Merchant of War, a man who had personally led thousands of soldiers to victory across the sea of blood and ash, had decided to serve another once more.

    The others echoed his sentiment in unison, ¡°may the Garden flourish.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re scoffed. ¡®They¡¯re attributing my plans to the plans of the Demon. Of course, a being that seeks to destroy the Phantom Syndicate would command his vessel to act out his plans. It only makes sense that ¡®Ophelia¡¯ would be behind turning the orthodoxy against the Phantom Syndicate.¡¯

    ¡°You may all take a seat.¡± He responded coldly. This made Juno¡¯s heart sink a little bit, but he could understand Mr. Ophelia¡¯s sentiment. They were not friends. They were more alike to master and servant.

    ¡®Damn it.¡¯ Lumi¨¨re cursed inwardly as he watched them sit down. ¡®This seating layout is really pissing me off. Why are they messing with my stuff? Should I punish them under the guise of being a powerful Demon? Fuck, forget about it¡­¡¯

    ¡°Today, we¡¯re going to discuss the next step of our commission. Of course, getting stronger should always be a goal on your mind, but I¡¯m going to propose something for us to actively work toward.¡±

    This intrigued the members, each gaze widening.

    ¡®Another goal? Isn¡¯t defeating the Phantom Syndicate the only goal? Is he talking about something we should work towards in the short term?¡¯ Cartwell¡¯s mind raced at the thought.

    ¡®But what could it possibly be?¡¯ Juno had recovered from his rejection by Mr. Ophelia, and had returned to his usual retrospective mood.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to actively investigate them.¡±

 Chapter 92: Wish

    In unison, the members of the Mythos Garden, especially Nicole, felt their hearts sink into their chests.

    ¡®Actively investigate them? But isn¡¯t this a dangerous endeavour? We¡¯re messing with powerful people, after all.¡¯ Juno leaned on his hand as he considered it. ¡®Even I was terrified by that gaze brought on by learning of the Phantom Syndicate. If little Capulet, a sixth-degree Arisen is terrified by them, then shouldn¡¯t we continue to grow stronger before proceeding with this? It still seems too early to be this brazen¡­¡¯

    As they watched the Demon of the Garden, his hair gradually deepened in colour, turning an oaky brown, his eyes returning a sky-blue hue.

    ¡®Ah, this is Lumi¨¨re Croft- the One of Spades! He wouldn¡¯t normally take part in these meetings, so why is he taking control of his own body now?¡¯

    As Lumi¨¨re glanced at each person, gaging their awareness of the differentiation between ¡®Ophelia¡¯ and ¡®Lumi¨¨re¡¯s¡¯ appearance, he began to speak.

    ¡°Really, it will be me who¡¯s investigating the matter behind the Phantom Syndicate. That¡¯s what I¡¯ve been tasked with.¡±

    Hearing this, Juno smiled coyly. ¡®I see. So it¡¯s the case that Lumi¨¨re Croft is as much a member of the Mythos Garden as we are.  I wonder, does he have a codename? And if he¡¯s been tasked with it, why mention it to us? Is there something he wants us to do?¡¯

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why propose it to us? Is there some matter that you need our help with?¡± Cartwell wondered aloud, matching Juno¡¯s concerns.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s just that I wish you to know of this. After all, members of the Phantom Syndicate were watching over the battle against the Nameless beasts. This was a key reason why I was able to use them in my plot. I hope in the future, when I encounter a problem, I can count on your help. I hope you¡¯ll continue to grow stronger in the meantime.¡±

    ¡®Nameless? Is this what they¡¯re called officially? The orthodoxy sure has a strange ¡®naming¡¯ sense¡­¡¯ Juno chuckled.

    Nicole slowly raised his hand.

    ¡°Yes, Capulet?¡± Lumi¨¨re had sat up straight in his chair, different from the mannerisms of Ophelia, who would usually lean on his hand.

    ¡°Why is it that you had us come along when Heaven¡¯s Roses was guaranteed to present themselves?¡± His serious side had emerged.

    ¡°Were those the men in white cloaks that we saw? You were wearing something similar when you joined us, weren¡¯t you, Capulet?¡± Cartwell suddenly interjected. Having assumed that Juno would ask the question, Lumi¨¨re was pleasantly surprised. It was uncharacteristic for Cartwell to seek out information on his own accord.

    ¡°Yes. It is the same. I am part of the same team as them.¡± Nicole replied without second thought. ¡°Ah, maybe I wasn¡¯t supposed to say that¡­¡±

    ¡°The same as I. We¡¯re affiliated with the Church of the Crown of Thorns.¡±

    This made Cartwell¡¯s and Zelia¡¯s eyes widen, coming to a realisation. If Lumi¨¨re Croft was associated with the Church, this meant that every day was a risk for him. After all, he was a heretic. Moreover, they had seen him blaspheme the Goddess on at least one confirmed occasion.

    ¡®Is he really both a heretic and a servant of the Goddess, as well as the host of a Demon? Perhaps Mr. Ophelia has some way to keep him out of the sight of the Goddess, in the same way that I couldn¡¯t divinate his future. Of course, I would never compare my sight to that of a Deity¡­¡¯ Zelia was truly taken aback. It was almost too insane, even for a heretic.

    Although they were both surprised by the revelation, Cartwell and Zelia remained silent.

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    However, Juno had a few questions on his mind. Seeing as he had two experts on the matter sitting before him, he thought he might as well ask.

    ¡°Why is it that some ¡®Nameless¡¯ talk, and others don¡¯t?¡± He leaned forward in his seat, his tone deep and convincing.

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s because they have stages of maturity, just like a person.¡± Nicole eagerly replied, not hesitating to give up information for free. ¡°At first, they will struggle to mimick a person. But they will gradually learn from their surroundings, the same as a child would. Then, they will gradually adapt, until their camouflage, as well as their speech, has become perfect. They will be indistinguishable from the original person. This is because while they take over and replace the flesh of the host, they keep the part of the brain that houses memories, fusing with it in order to learn from the original person and mimick them easier.¡±

    ¡®This boy¡­ it¡¯s almost too easy to get information out of him. I¡¯m beginning to feel a little guilty. Perhaps Mr. Ophelia will take offense if I press further¡­¡¯

    ¡°I see. Thank you, little Capulet. I¡¯ll treat you to a drink sometime as thanks.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s no problem, Mr. Shylock.¡± Nicole smiled brightly, seemingly rid of his anxieties amidst the rest of the group now. ¡°It¡¯s a small piece of information. Besides, as comrades, shouldn¡¯t we share information freely?¡±

    This jolted Juno significantly. As well as the others, it made them feel a bit guilty for seeking compensation for information in the past, as well as buying it from others. They began to think that maybe the little mage had been right. As those working towards the same objective, it was clear that they should share key information with each other to serve the greater benefit.

    However, for Juno, what he had locked onto specifically was that Nicole had called him a ¡®comrade¡¯.  His hands shook a little bit, and he hid them in his lap while taking a less casual sitting position.

    He had tried for a long time to abandon the memories of war. While he had gained a method of growing as a merchant through the connections he had forged, there was nothing else about it that he cared for.

    Juno was a man without memories of his past. As a soldier, he had tried all he could to make connections so that he could have a memorable future. The extent that this took was damning. There was only incompetence in the military that served the Empire. It was like they just didn¡¯t care that a war was raging like a constant flame on the border.

    He had become sick of it, almost crazed. He took it upon himself to manipulate the battles using his connections, and as a result, he had become a man ashamed of his past, broken by the blood on his hands. This had made him unpredictable at times, passive when he shouldn¡¯t be, and cunning when he should.

    Every time someone called him ¡®comrade¡¯, he would be thrust back into that past. It was an unfortunate stain on his soul, something that would always torment him.

    He took a deep breath, focusing in on the conversation that had continued without him.

    When no one had been paying attention, Lumi¨¨re had changed his visage once more, his hair a deep white, and his gaze a piercing violet.

    Zelia had been the only one to notice.

    ¡°Mr. Ophelia, I have a request.¡±

    Eyes turned in unison to the feminine voice across from them, surprised. No one had made a request to Mr. Ophelia since Cartwell had used his wish. They all feared the hefty price of a Demon. That meant it could only be one thing.

    ¡°I would like to use my wish.¡± Zelia spoke suddenly. She had been silent nearly the whole meeting, which was common of her. Yet, it became obvious that it was because that she had been mulling over something.

    ¡®Another fool, using a wish from a Demon this early¡­ do they not think of their future benefit?¡¯ Juno sighed inwardly, leaning back in his seat, finally relaxed.

    ¡°I wish to know if the Argyle family had a hand in the murder of their son, Casimir Argyle.¡± Saying this, the others could visibly notice her conflicted expression.

    This made Cartwell tense up. He knew the reason why Zelia was asking for that sort of information. She had her deepest suspicions that it was the fault of her ex-family. She just wanted to know if her hatred and the justice she sought was justified.

    After all, what she wanted was justice writ in blood.

    Lumi¨¨re leaned on his hand, smirking.

    ¡°Very well. Give me a few days, Ms. Laertes.¡±

    ¡°A few days? Ah, very well.¡± Zelia looked down, fidgeting with her hands. ¡®I thought he would tell me instantly¡­ but I can wait.¡¯

    Sensing her anxiousness to move things forward, Lumi¨¨re smiled. ¡°I¡¯m not omniscient, Ms. Laertes. But don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll get the information you seek.¡±

    ¡®The question is, how will I go about doing so? I can¡¯t ask this bastard merchant, he¡¯s a part of the Mythos Garden. Seeking information from him will diminish the Ophelia persona. Can I try and seek the information through Constantine Adler¡¯s channels? But that runs the same risk, as Juno is connected through those channels too. I can¡¯t ask Artis Faulkner, as she hasn¡¯t been in Leiden for quite some time. I doubt Thomas Hawthorne concerns himself with internal noble politics.¡¯

    Lumi¨¨re grinned, coming up with a solution after exhausting his options.

    ¡®Perhaps I shall consult a King.¡¯

 Chapter 93: Arisen

    Cartwell sat in silence, his mouth obscured by his hands. ''I wish to help out, even if it is a terrifying endeavour. Those Phantoms, they clearly have intentions to allow their patron Deity to descend, that figure that little Capulet was talking about. I''ve seen this much before¡­ such a feat could impact not just Leiden, but Lindgram, and all its expanses in each direction. I do not wish for all I know to fall into chaos and ruin.'' There was another reason that his resolve to work alongside the others had blossomed. ''If my Lady is going to continue along this path of revenge, it will help her out to have powerful allies. A magician, a sixth-degree Arisen in little Capulet is a very good ally¡­ a black mage is adept in battle, much stronger than me, considering how I have to play into so many of my tricks to find success¡­''

    He leaned forward, chuckling inwardly. ''Me and my Lady were the first to use our wishes. Nicole''s wish was rejected on the grounds that it already was the main goal of our commission. That means that both him and the merchant could request absolutely anything of Mr. Ophelia. If I weren''t already on my own path¡­ I wonder what could have been possible¡­''

    Lumi¨¨re had his own thoughts, leaning casually back in his seat.

    ''They should trust the ability of ''Lumi¨¨re Croft'' now. I''ve made that very clear over time, and that concept of my strength was definitely solidified during my final performance. However, what trust they have in Ophelia is the remnant memories of my use of ''Despair'' when we sought to take down Johan Basque. I should try to raise the loftiness of that persona soon. Not only is it crucial to gaining their trust as a powerful figure, but also as a part of finishing this persona so that it may be used to alleviate madness. After all, shouldn''t a Leader lead with his own hand?''

    "Are there any further matters to be spoken of? If not, we''ll adjourn for the night."

    Juno finally leaned forward in his seat, drawing the attention of the others.

    "Everyone, I have a proposal. I think it serves common interest." Juno spoke out suddenly, his fingers intertwined as he grinned mischievously.

    This piqued the interest of every person in the room, apart from Nicole, who seemed confused more than anything. Of course, he had been lost in his own world as the others had been talking.

    "I''ve recently tracked down a woman of interest - the Four of Diamonds, associated with this House of Cards we''re currently sitting within."

    Zelia''s eyes widened. As the Three of Diamonds, she had instantly come to the conclusion that Juno was trying to lead her to. She had spoken with the Four of Diamonds many times before. These were mostly attempts to trade or buy the card off of the woman. However, no matter how much she offered, the attempts were fruitless.

    Four of Diamonds was too stubborn.

    Zelia had thought of challenging her to a duel multiple times in the past. However, each time, Four of Diamonds had paid her off, dodging her attempts. To stave off the abuse of the ''dueling'' system, the Joker had placed a limit on how many duel offers could be submitted per year, and Zelia had used all of hers.

    "You want to start the process of helping each other grow stronger?" Zelia questioned the merchant. "Shylock, do you think we can begin so soon?"

    "I think we can. After all, the target is only a fourth-Arisen, a Practitioner."

    "Isn''t that a little too cruel? All of us attacking her at once, isn''t it a little too much? Any one of us could duel her and win easily. She''s a fourth-Arisen, not a God." Cartwell objected, too pure of heart to imagine such a thing.

    "So we won''t kill her."

    "Let''s talk about it at our next meeting." Lumi¨¨re manipulated the illusion around his face once more, his hair returning to its normal oak-brown colour.

    "When will that be?" Juno asked impatiently.

    ''Wow, he''s in a mood. He seems the easiest to aggravate, despite his usually calm demeanor. I''ll need to manipulate him into trusting Ophelia with his life somehow. But something tells me he''s not going to be easy to crack.''

    Lumi¨¨re looked at each and every member of the Mythos Garden, smiling warmly. "Mr. Ophelia proposes that this become a weekly occurrence. However, he wishes to know how you feel about this."

    "I think it''s fine. The sooner, the better." Juno replied.

    Nicole nodded his head in agreement. "I think these meetings are quite fun. You all talk about really interesting things. I would like to have them more often."

    Hearing Nicole''s words, Zelia''s face lit up excitedly. She couldn''t help but smile. "I agree. It''s quite fun to meet with you all!"

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    ''Apart from certain¡­ terrifying things¡­'' She lamented inwardly.

    "I have no objection to it." Cartwell nodded his head in agreement with Zelia.

    Lumi¨¨re clapped his hands together. "Then, seeing how it''s Wednesday, let''s make it a matter to meet at noon every Wednesday, during everyone''s lunch hour. This way, there will be no suspicion from any of your colleagues or friends as to where you''re disappearing to."

    "Ah, it will look like we''re just going out for lunch!" Nicole exclaimed excitedly, grasping onto Lumi¨¨re''s point.

    Lumi¨¨re laughed aloud. "Precisely! Good deduction, little mage."

    Watching the two interact, Zelia felt a bit odd. For a long time, she had grown to have a mixed perception about Lumi¨¨re Croft, the One of Spades. It was the case that at times, he would act a little crazy. She had come to know that this was just a facade he portrayed in order to stave off the greed of the House of Cards, and to give off a cold demeanor that would disallow attempts to mess with him. In reality, in private, he was a gentle man, or at least he chose to portray such.

    It made Zelia''s heart stir a bit. The way he acted reminded her of someone. It reminded her of a kind man she had once loved. A kind man who she sought revenge for.

    As she lost herself in thought, she didn''t realise that the rest of the Mythos Garden had stood up from their seats, adjusting their jackets and preparing to leave.

    "Alright then." Lumi¨¨re spoke abruptly, standing up in his seat. Seemingly out of thin air, he conjured a magician''s top hat, affixing it to his head, before stepping forward. "I''ll be seeing you all."

    Slowly, it began to feel more and more like a cooperation between them. He knew that by introducing his identity as ''Lumi¨¨re Croft'' into the mix, he could become a bit more personable, and be able to work with them easily. He bit at his lip, his annoyance resurfacing, remembering the cringey facade he had to portray.

    "May the garden flourish." He spoke bitterly.

    The room echoed with the same sentiment.

    "May the garden flourish."

    === In the main Cathedral of the Crown of Thorns, middle borough, Leiden. ===

    Ainsworth felt his nerves tense up with each passing moment. A grandfather clocked ticked in the distance, signaling that much. Sweat had began to bead on his forehead, and he had to take a deep breath just to make sure he hadn''t forgotten to fill his lungs with air.

    He stood before several figures in a room decorated with ornate stained-glass portraiture. They were the upper brass of the Church of the Crown of Thorns, and of Heaven''s Roses.

    The higher structure of the Church of the Crown of Thorns worked closely with Heaven''s Roses. When it came to the orthodoxy, Ainsworth was only a Priest. This was uncommon for members of Heaven''s Roses, who were also tasked with running the services of a Church. His low orthodox rank was due to two reasons.

    The first was that he had been promoted within Heaven''s Roses far too quick to simultaneously go through the hoops necessary to become a Bishop of the church. The second was that as far as the upper brass of Heaven''s Roses saw him, he wasn''t a necessity. The monastery on Cobbler''s Street was one of few churches associated with the Crown of Thorns.

    While the scripture of their Goddess preached goodwill towards the poor, the same view was not necessarily shared by her highest-ranking servants, ironically.

    Then again, Ainsworth Benedict was an anomaly within the church. It wasn''t the case that someone so new to the magical world could ascend the ranks of Heaven''s Roses so quickly.

    That was because among the upper brass, there was a particular figure that had been keeping an eye on Ainsworth, guiding his progress steadily, as if building him into a better person.

    He stood before that figure now.

    The man dressed in an ornate white cloak had short black hair parted on both sides of his head, and his eyes were enveloped in dark rings of fatigue. He was a mess of a man, but also quite obviously a powerful man.

    It was the Archangel of the Crown of Thorns, Selaphiel.

    The Archangels of the Church weren''t ordinary people, but they weren''t out of reach, either. They were the strongest of the members of Heaven''s Roses, and their titles within the Church''s Orthodoxy coincided.

    They were at the peak of the Ascendance boundary, usually either a ninth or tenth-Arisen. This was far above what Ainsworth could muster. It means that they were veterans of the labyrinth respective to the Domain of Magic they used, ones who had survived its torment many more times than any other.

    The Labyrinth was a special sort of place, one that became inviting the more that one traversed it. The first few times, the same amount of times Ainsworth had been inside, it would seem easy. Dangerous, surely, but easy nonetheless. It was almost like a living being- taunting you to seek more and more power. However, it was known to be a trap.

    This time, it would definitely become extremely dangerous for him.

    "I need to get stronger." Ainsworth spoke directly to Selaphiel, ignoring the others that stood in the room, two Cardinals responsible for the main Cathedral.

    "Do you not feel strong enough, Mr. Benedict?"

    He ignored Selaphiel''s comment. "Why did you allow me to become a Red Rose? Straight from the jump, no less. You broke so many rules to do something that has never had historical precedence. Why?"

    "I saw a man that would be driven to accomplish things. I feel that Heaven''s Roses lacks conviction. Your conviction was proven when you chose to face the Labyrinth three times in one night. Honestly, I couldn''t tell whether you were a fool, or a genius." Selaphiel smiled deviously. "You know it, don''t you? In the same way that a Blue Rose will command White Roses, and Red Roses will command Blues, we Archangels command the Red Rose Teams. That is what I want you to become."

    "Truly?"

    Selaphiel nodded his head. "Yes, but you won''t be allowed to become an Archangel until you reach the peak of the Ascendance Boundary, at least a Ninth-Boundary Arisen."

    ''I''ll have to become a Master in order to become an Archangel? Is the bar really that high? Is Mr. Selaphiel really this strong?'' Previously, Ainsworth had assumed that in order to become an Archangel, he would have to climb much higher. However, he also knew that Heaven''s Roses was experiencing a lack of manpower due to the uprising of Nameless, and the unfortunate casualties that proceeded such an event. ''If I were to stay within the labyrinth all night tonight, couldn''t I make it that far using sheer willpower? No, I''ll need to come back and grow more adept with my newfound abilities before trying to Arise higher, otherwise I risk death. I cannot be greedy.''

    "Then, I''m ready to face it once more."

 Chapter 94: Strange creature

    Ainsworth stood at the precipice between the known at the unknown. In each main cathedral of the Crown of Thorns, there were two swirling illusory gates meant for the advancement of Astrologers and Alchemists.

    Down far below, locked away in a highly-protected chamber, there was another gate meant for the advancement of Black Mages. In rare cases, such as Nicole Auirore, Black Mages would be vetted and allowed into Heaven¡¯s Roses in order to keep them off of the streets.

    There was no similar exception for Heretics. Not only were they averse to the teachings of the Goddess, but also directly dangerous in that they couldn¡¯t control their mental states easily or be appealed to by others.

    So, confirmed Heretics were often killed on sight.

    The Archangel, Selaphiel, stood beside Ainsworth, his hands folded and his smile calm and sincere.

    ¡°Are you scared?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Ainsworth lied, rolling up his sleeves as he conversed with the Archangel, Selaphiel.

    Recently, a rage had begun to fill up in Ainsworth. Seeing Lumi¨¨re fight against the Named, Asmodeus, in their place, then again when seeing him perform effortlessly in front of so many Nameless at the show hall, his heart had filled with hate. It wasn¡¯t a hatred for his childhood friend. It was a hatred for himself.

    The church¡¯s way of observation and inaction had caused him to become stagnant. It was to the extent that it became harmful to those around him. Ainsworth couldn¡¯t afford to stand still any longer.

    He couldn¡¯t afford to be afraid.

    "Remember your lessons. Do you recall the mantra?"

    The labyrinth was known for its dangers. It would twist itself to trick, deceive, and madden the person that entered. For an astrologist, he would have to enter the labyrinth designated for astrology.

    The creatures that would appear within the labyrinth were things that must either be killed, or ignored. It was his judgment as an astrologer that would determine what choice he would make in any given situation.

    "Do not see, nor hear, nor talk to what must not be perceived." Ainsworth replied in a calm manner, his rapid heartbeat betraying him.

    While it was not necessarily a danger to see a creature or an anomaly of the labyrinth, it could also be that witnessing certain monsters or events would cause one to instantly lose their sanity.

    It was also the case that some monsters would only become aggressive once they knew that they had been perceived. So, the mantra was taught to all Heaven''s Roses who sought out the labyrinth.

    If possible, one was not to gaze directly at creatures they did not understand. If possible, they were to not listen to anything a creature capable of communicating would say. If possible, one must ignore the creatures of the labyrinth at all costs.

    Above all, one must absolutely not talk to the creatures themselves. It was tantamount to breaking all previous rules, and opened up a gateway of communication that could end in being hexed, cursed, and corrupted. Words were a very powerful things for monsters. Using them carelessly could cost one the forfeiture of their life.

    ¡°Remember why you¡¯re doing this, Mr. Benedict.¡± Selaphiel noted, before turning his head, facing away from Ainsworth.

    ¡°I know. I know what I have to do.¡±

    With each passing second, his determination strengthened.

    ¡°Then, good luck. Make sure my endorsement of you wasn¡¯t for naught. I did so in front of so many of my underlings. If you were to fail now, wouldn¡¯t you tarnish my reputation?¡± Selaphiel smirked.

    There was a reason he tried to deliberately increase the pressure on Ainsworth¡¯s shoulders. It wasn¡¯t because he was vindictive, or even cruel.

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    ¡®I¡¯ve had people like you come before me and beg me for a chance to become great when they had done nothing with their lives, but you didn¡¯t do that from the start. It was only when you had proven yourself, clearing many trials in one night that you asked for a chance. I wondered why that was the case. Is it just because it¡¯s the type of man you are, Ainsworth Benedict? If this is the case, that you seek not to better yourself just for the sake of power, but because of your ideals that have obviously become obscured after experiencing tragedy, then I wish to support your ascension to someone great. But someone cannot become great by simply having power handed to them, or even overcoming the boundless trials of the labyrinth. It is the determination to overcome pressure at all costs, to break down any wall in front of them for their ideals. This pressure to not fail, will you be able to handle it? If you can, then you will surely become great.¡¯

    ¡°I won¡¯t die or go mad, Mr. Selaphiel. I have things that I must do.¡±

    Without another word, Ainsworth stepped through the swirling illusory gate, the world around him becoming overtaken by endless screams and pitch-black fog. In an instant, the gateroom in the monastery reformed itself, stone becoming liquid and swirling up into the air in the shape of massive twirling spires. The ground grew faces around the edges of the room, gradually contorting and becoming the origin of the screams.

    The black fog around him turned a bright-red colour, like blood mist, and the mood around him settled. The spires grew walls, and the faces protruded tongues like hands to hold them up straight. Then, everything solidified once more, and Ainsworth was left standing in an ornate marble hall, devoid of shadows. Starlight sparkled all around, lining the marble in an illusory sapphire framing.

    There was a fountain in the center of the hall, and it echoed a soft trickling sound throughout the seemingly-endless space. But it was not water that let off the sound. Thick spurts of crimson erratically poured from the fountain¡¯s head ¡ª¡ª shaped like a face ¡ª¡ª like tears from its eyelids, pooling below.

    A woman stood at the other end of the fountain. She was dressed in a black lace dress, and had a blank and unnerving expression on her face, staring past Ainsworth. His gaze quickly flitted behind him, but there was nothing there. The woman was staring at nothing.

    ¡®There¡¯s not supposed to be anyone else in the labyrinth! This woman, she¡¯s definitely something the labyrinth conjured!¡¯ Ainsworth¡¯s mind raced, frozen in fear. His hand navigated to his side, where his blade was kept, but the woman did not react to his movements.

    For the woman too seemed to fear.

    ¡°Are you lost, dear traveler?¡± A soft, familiar feminine voice rang out from behind him.

    Ainsworth¡¯s gaze flitted around, immediately turning his body and drawing his blade towards the voice, but nothing was there.

    He realised then that the woman had disappeared from in front of him. The trickling sound of the fountain echoed louder, the spurts of blood more frequent. The fountain began to overflow, crimson puddles spilling onto the floor below, lapping at the edges of his shoes.

    ¡°This place¡­ it¡¯s not for little lambs like you.¡±

    The voice came from ahead of him this time. When he glanced forward, he saw nothing. It was the same shadowless room of marble and starlight, free of any presence except for himself.

    ¡°I can offer you guidance¡­ to the exit.¡± A long, spindly arm reached out beside Ainsworth, pointing with its unusually elongated finger forward. Its skin was wrinkled and grey, dotted with scarring, and large networks of veins visibly pulsated from underneath, moving with each contraction of its withered muscles.

    Ainsworth¡¯s gaze froze. His facial muscles tensed, and uncontrollable dread surged through each muscle in his body. Almost pressed up against him, the face of a creature stared at him, ice-cold breath from its staggered huffs of air spreading across his cheek.

    Its face was unnaturally elongated, as if it had been stretched length-wise. This made its genial expression look odd, a terrifying smile.

    Archangel Selaphiel¡¯s warnings immediately arose in Ainsworth¡¯s mind.

    ¡®Do not see, nor hear, nor talk to what must not be perceived. ¡®Do not see, nor hear, nor talk to what must not be perceived. ¡®Do not see, nor hear, nor talk to what must not be perceived.¡¯

    He stared straight ahead, trying not to meet the gaze of the creature that had suddenly appeared beside him. His hand remained hovering over his blade, ready to counterattack at any moment.

    However, the question remained: if the monster was so close to him, enough to breath upon his neck, could it even be the case that he could react in time before the monster bit down on his jugular? Should he make a split-second decision now and choose to attack, or wait and see if the mantra of the church would succeed?

    Trusting the judgment of his superior who had faced the labyrinth so many times before, Ainsworth steeled his heart and remained calm, silent and unmoving.

    ¡®What is this thing? Where did that woman go, and why has the flow of the fountain increased? If I move now, I have to be careful not to slip in the blood and fall. In this space, can I fight effectively? How can this monster attack me? Is it even possible for me to distance myself before it chooses to strike? Fuck, what a horrible situation! I should never have been distracted by the appearance of that woman.¡¯

    He was sure that the labyrinth had conjured the image of that random woman as a trap. But now it was certain, the labyrinth had conquered this monster as the true test of his will.

    He would definitely have to kill it before it killed him.

 Chapter 95: Determination

    There was a time where Ainsworth felt satisfied with his position. The children, Caladan and Carlisle, despite only having been at the monastery for a short time, had become like little brothers to him. Elise was his closest childhood friend besides Lumi¨¨re, and having entered into the service of the Goddess alongside him, he felt he had been truly blessed to have a friend he could share that side of his life with.

    Before his father had died, the former Father of the monastery on Cobbler¡¯s Street, Ainsworth had been reckless. He had been a playboy who would rather spend his time with women than practicing the reciting of scripture and acting under the service of the Goddess.

    When his father had died, Ainsworth had to quickly abandon that life, coming to the realisation that his father¡¯s legacy was what he had tried to pass on to his son, his love for the Goddess. He had desperately tried to follow in his father¡¯s footsteps after that. He become a pious, wise individual. He always tried to serve the greater good, helping and feeding the needy. He chastised Lumi¨¨re for his actions, even though they were childhood friends, sometimes overstepping his position and acting above him.

    But when Elise had died, he realised that nothing about him had really changed. He was always a reckless, stagnant individual. He had always talked about how Lumi¨¨re wore a mask to cope with his feelings, never realising it was the same on his part.

    Father Benedict had been a mask worn by Ainsworth in order to cope with his father¡¯s death, to pretend he hadn¡¯t been a failure of a son.

    That regret was a driving force for Ainsworth now. Even if he was scared or felt inadequate, he knew he had to move forward, to become more powerful for the sake of never losing anyone again.

    Steeling his heart, Ainsworth drew his blade in a split second, swinging it towards the head of the creature. However, when he looked at its face as his sword cleaved into its flesh, causing crimson blood to erupt outwards.

    It had taken a different face, a familiar face. It was soft and pale, with long golden hair and glimmering sapphire irises. That familiar face stared at Ainsworth with a look of horror, as if disgusted with him.

    ¡°Why¡­ Why would you¡­ kill me¡­?¡± Its voice was layered, feminine and soft, but also gravelly and terrifying, resembling both Elise¡¯s voice, and a monster¡¯s. It was hollow and deep, but also maniacal and humoured.

    Immediately, the monster Elise¡¯s false face contorted, revealing bloody red tendrils amidst sloshing brain matter and fragmented bones. The tendrils instantly grew in size, swelling with blood and pus before shooting out towards Ainsworth.

    He swung his sword to slash through the tendrils, but this only exacerbated the issue. Blood and pus erupted from the sliced tendrils, bathing him in thick, foul sludge. He recoiled, feeling himself grow sick, but his wariness remained.

    The creature stood patiently as Ainsworth resisted keeling over. The tendrils gradually reformed into the same misshapen genial expression. The creature reached out its spindly arm, extending its palm outwards as if inviting Ainsworth towards it.

    As Ainsworth looked up at the creature, the room began to feel heavy. He felt an sense of impending doom, as if he would experience true despair in a short moment.

    He immediately closed his eyes, turning around before he opened them once more. It was the perception of the creature he had been warned about, something he had forgotten to employ in the midst of battle. Of course, how could one fight their enemy without looking at them.

    As the creature seemed patient enough to wait out his whims, Ainsworth shot a quick glance at the monster again. Then, he began to count. Five seconds quickly elapsed, and then Ainsworth was filled with that sense of impending doom once more.

    ''I have five seconds before I have to stop perceiving it... what will occur if I gaze at it past those five seconds...? That feeling... it felt like I would really explode. I don''t want to risk it. Let''s operate on this basis and fight in five second intervals.''

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    However, before Ainsworth could act, the familiar feminine voice rang out once more.

    "You couldn''t save anyone!" It screamed, its shrill voice echoing through the shadowless hall.

    Ainsworth''s eyes widened. The monster lunged forward, its shriveled spindly arm transforming into a sharpened lance, bulging with large pustules full of blood.

    Ainsworth rushed forward, raising his blade before swinging it in an arcing motion forward. It sliced through the point of the sharpened blood lance, effectively cutting through the monster''s spindly arm. The two severed pieces of the arm rushed past Ainsworth on either side of him, leaving him face to misshapen face with the creature.

    It screamed even louder. "You let them all die! Your friends! Your comrades! You weren''t strong enough to save them! How could you think you''re strong enough to move forward like this!?"

    ''I''m not moving forward because I think I''m capable! I''m doing it because I Have to!''

    Ainsworth didn''t reply out loud, finally putting the mantra into practice. Instead, he pushed his blade down harder, attempting to cut into the torso of the creature.

    It lashed out with its other spindly arm, causing blood to drip down Ainsworth''s cheek. Still, with a grimacing expression, he perservered. He pushed harder, slicing past the shoulder bone and into the upper ribcage. With each ounce of successive force, his blade began to chip and crack.

    Then, as he looked away to counteract the five-second sense of impending doom, his sword shattered completely. The creature lurched forward with its uninjured arm, throwing Ainsworth backwards across the length of the hall.

    He skipped along the ground like a rock, each time he bashed into the marble flooring causing painful reverberations to echo through his body.

    ¡°One must die to leave.¡±

    ¡®What!? What is it talking about now?¡¯ As Ainsworth tried to recover from the shock of being tossed around like a ragdoll, his mind raced, trying to come up with a solution as to why the creature was talking nonsense. Everything in the labyrinth had meaning and significance.

    It dragged the torn fragments of its arm along the ground as it approached Ainsworth.

    ''This creature... why isn''t it attacking with the intent to kill!? Everytime, it grazes me, or otherwise fails to hit me... is it the case that it''s not trying to kill me? Or is it playing around with me, knowing I''m weaker in comparison? Or... is it that the fight is not the only key element of this room...?''

    Ainsworth immediately recalled the fountain of blood he had seen the moment he had entered the Astrologer''s labyrinth. Was it the case that it was also a key element of the labyrinth¡¯s trial? Why else would it have sat in the center of the room, changing as the initial woman disappeared, filling up with blood? Was this a clue?

    No matter how much he attacked the monster, it wouldn¡¯t die. It was only the case that he himself was sustaining wounds as time went on. However, that one sentence had caused him to recall his conversation with Lumi¨¨re one night in the Main Cathedral¡¯s hospital ward,

    ¡®To the tribes who settled in the sand dunes of Baruunlan, they would become decorated with scars. Losing blood meant losing water, the very source of their lives.¡¯

    ¡®One must die to leave.¡¯

    As he looked away to avoid the five-second doom, the creature lashed out its wispy hand like a whip, crashing against Ainsworth¡¯s side. He stumbled before hitting his head on the edge of the fountain in the center of the room. His sword clattered to the ground, and his bleeding head was positioned above the overflowing blood that spilled out onto the ground.

    The creature began to approach.

    Slowly, a stream of crimson began to drip from his forehead, mixing into the pool of blood in the center of the fountain.

    Then, the monster stopped moving. Its shredded arm began to repair itself gradually. It let out a calm yet shrill laugh, as if satisfied and amused.

    ¡°I have given you guidance¡­ to the exit.¡± A wry smile creeped up the elongated face of the creature, before it promptly took a wide bow. Then, in an instant, each individual mass of the creature transformed into floating balls of crimson blood, before dropping to the ground with a resounding splash. Ainsworth was further coated in red, his gaze shaking, already stunned and silent.

    Then, the shadowless room was quickly overtaken by emerging shadow. The opalescent starlight that lined the marble room vanished, and Ainsworth was bathed in darkness.

    He heard skittering noises echo around him. It was like the individual feet of many bugs, all voicing their presence at once. It was a cacophony, as if there were dozens of them lying around him in wait. He had already picked his sword back up, holding it up weakly in preparation for another attack.

    As he waited, trying to steel his nerves again, a minute passed. And then another minute. And then one more.

    It began to seem like nothing would happen at all.

    Then, eyes awoke in the darkness, peering down at Ainsworth with gazes full of malice and disdain.

 Chapter 96: Set alight

    Suddenly, the darkness dissipated. Ainsworth found he was no longer in the shadowless hall bordered by starlight, rather at the edge of a vast and eerie forest. The trees had peculiar blade-shaped roots that layered over each other like coral, creating a ¡®gateway¡¯ around the forest¡¯s edge.

    Other trees had branches as thick as their trunks, wrapping around and strangling the coral-like trees. It was like a war between plant life.

    Ainsworth realised it wasn¡¯t skittering bugs he had been hearing as he peered into the forest. It had been the chiming of bones in the night, of skeletons hanging from the trees in the forest of shadow. The eyes staring at him were not from a living creature, but the writhing eyeballs in the skulls looking down at him.

    He scrambled to his feet, his head heavy and his vision obscured by overwhelming dizziness. His sword, shattered, lay beside him. Ainsworth grasped the remnants of the blade, holding it forward as he glanced around.

    The screams from the shadowless hall persisted, now originating from the skeletons hanging around him. They opened their mouths periodically, echoing the same chilling cries, along with the creaking sound of their jaws, free of sinew.

    However, no matter how long he stood at the edge of the forest, the skeletons did no more than make chilling noises. So, he conjured up enough fear to glance behind him. Besides a path made of dirt that stretched shortly behind him, there was a veil of dark-grey fog that stretched across the length of the forest, blocking his way backwards.

    ¡®Fuck, am I really trapped here? It¡¯s saying that the only option I have is to venture into this forest. Is this a test of courage, a trap, or a puzzle? The only way to tell is to walk forward, but if a fight arises, am I really in a state to win?¡¯

    He was still a little dizzy from the fight prior. However, the shattered blade was not the only weapon he had in his arsenal.

    After all, he was an Astrologer. That was the entire point of coming to this labyrinth in the first place.

    He pulled a paper box out of his jacket, several paper cards tucked within. There were several different runes drawn onto each card, each with a distinct illusory quality to them. They were forged from starlight sourced from the night sky. Underneath the dreary atmosphere of the eerie forest, they were especially prevalent.

    It was a method of sealing starlight that Heaven¡¯s Roses had been using for decades, ever since silicone sealant had been invented. The sealant creating an airtight layer that kept the starlight away from the exposure of air, allowing an Astrologer to store starlight without risk to themselves. Of course, this meant that the cards themselves were essentially bombs.

    However, as the starlight was weaved into the shape of inactive runes, they could be used to weave spells. The runes used by Astrologers were starkly different from the contract runes that Alchemists used. While contract runes had a distinct language for forming agreements and deals, the runes used by Astrologers had meanings based on the type of power one wished to weave, along with four distinct modifiers - size, shape, and frequency, and momentum of the spell.

    As long as the type of spell was accompanied by those four modifier runes, it could be activated by shaping starlight into the shape of those runes. While the cards were like bombs that could kill an Astrologer if damaged, they were also spells that could be activated in an instant.

    The risk was no matter. It wasn¡¯t like Ainsworth was safe inside the labyrinth anyway. One would have to take such risks to survive.

    Armed with the set of runic cards, Ainsworth began to walk into the eerie forest.

    The skeletons continued their anguishing moans and screams as he treaded the dirt path. In the darkness, he could see shadows waver. At first, he acknowledged those shadows as trees waving in the gentle cold breeze. However, with a closer inspection, he saw that those shadows had begun to stare straight back at him. They looked like¡­ people.

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    He pulled one of the cards from the deck, a ¡®flame¡¯ spell with a fast momentum, dense frequency, large size, and rotund shape. It was essentially a fireball. While spells didn¡¯t go by such names, it wasn¡¯t too much of a stretch to create such things with a bit of imagination and creativity. That was the strength of an Astrologer, equipped with the broad knowledge of the universe.

    At any moment, he could respond with this quick-firing attack, eliminating any harm that would seek him out. However, no matter how far he continued to walk into the forest, the shadows in the distance just stared at him idly.

    Soon, he arrived in a grove within the center of the eerie forest. The grove was filled with several headstones lined up in rows before an intricate stone-pillared tomb, its entrance lying behind a large wide-stepped staircase that had been worn away by time.

    He approached these headstones, reading the epitaph engraved at the top of each one. They all had names, incredibly familiar.

    The first read ¡®Elise Alinde¡¯, the second and third reading ¡®Carlisle¡¯ and ¡®Caladan¡¯ surnames absent. As his eyes moved to the fourth, he steeled his heart, trying to remain unmoved.

    It read ¡®Meraline Avelis¡¯.

    Continuing to read down the rows of headstones, they were all names he recalled.

    The labyrinth had conjured a list of all the people closest to him whose deaths he felt personally responsible for. They were the people who he had scarred his body in remembrance of, as he thought only the pain of his scarred wounds could constantly remind him of his failures.

    ¡°I can lead you to the exit.¡± A familiar feminine voice rang out behind him.

    Ainsworth immediately turned around, activating the rune on the card in his hand, sending a large fireball hurtling through the air at high speeds. It hit nothing but air, colliding with the canopy above, setting a tree alight.

    ¡°One must die to leave.¡±

    Ainsworth turned back to face the ornate stone-pillared tomb, seeing a woman in the distance. She had vibrant red hair and violet eyes, and her expression was a mix of seriousness and calm demeanor.

    It was Meraline Avelis. Ainsworth hadn¡¯t seen his comrade in so long. Even though he knew it was the monster¡¯s illusion, he couldn¡¯t help but smile slightly.

    It wasn¡¯t depressing to him. In fact, it alleviated some of his pain to see her again.

    He pulled another card from the paper box, firing another large fireball towards his deceased comrade¡¯s visage. She looked at him with a face of horror as she was engulfed in flames, her clothes alighting as she fell down into an open grave. Screams filled the air, and Ainsworth steeled his heart once more.

    It was just an illusion. Nothing to believe, nothing to fear.

    Above him, the flames continued to spread, the canopy alight with bright embers, casting light into the forest.

    ¡®This monster continued to follow me into the next chamber. Is it the case that I really do have to kill it to leave this place and complete its trials? If something has to die in order to leave, then it will definitely be this monster!¡¯

    He rushed towards the open grave, peering down into its depths. It was around eight feet in length, with a depth of around six feet. However, nothing remained inside of it. The burning monster in the shape of Meraline Avelis had disappeared once more.

    He felt a force push him forward, and he stumbled into the grave. Turning in the grave, he glanced up to see the fake Meraline Avelis wielding an iron shovel, moving to scoop up dirt and toss it onto Ainsworth¡¯s chest. His eyes widened, and he moved to stand up, but another bout of dirt tossed down caused him to be thrown to the earth once more. Unable to resist its weight due to his fatigue, he was forced to watch in horror as that comrade he once admired began to bury him alive.

    Fear surged up in his chest, and despite the mantra, it began to overtake him. He cried out, trying to distract the monster. His hands fidgeted for the paper box in his pocket, trying to take out another card. However, it was futile. His arms were pinned down beside him, unable to move.

    He might truly die at the hands of the monster.

    Suddenly, waves of darkness overtook the monster in the form of Meraline Avelis. The creature was quickly thrown to the side, the darkness pooling around it. The waves of shadow had piercing, malevolent eyes.

    Because of the sudden appearance of light after the canopy had caught fire, the violent shadows that had been watching idly had been stirred, causing them to rampage.

    Hidden beneath a layer of soil, barely able to breathe, Ainsworth could only listen as the fake Meraline cried out in agony as the violent shadows tore the monster apart. Blood soaked into the soil, spilling down into the open grave, coating Ainsworth¡¯s exposed skin in sickening crimson.

    Then, the forest went eerily silent. The trees did not stir, and the skeletons hanging from the trees did not creak or cry out.

    Something had died.

    Ainsworth opened his eyes, seeing the familiar cathedral ceiling above him, moonlight pouring through ornate stained-glass windows.

    Beside him, the Archangel, Selaphiel, stared down, smiling slyly.

    ¡°How interesting.¡± Selaphiel chuckled. ¡°You survived.¡±

 Chapter 97: Plotting

    In a dark alley of Etten-Leur, in a room lit dimly by lamplight, three figures sat around a round wooden table, conversing. This was the second meeting of the three businessmen, Alain Monroe, Juno, and Massimo Leonetti. It was finally time to discuss their plan to contend with the Blackfeather Group, who sought legitimate dealings in the lower borough.

    ¡°The Mechanicus Die Firma has used the lower borough as a dumping ground for scrap metal for a century, this is how the Steel Wastes came to be. These territories are controlled internally by the cannibalistic Scrap Lords, and guarded externally by the Peacekeepers. It¡¯s the only part of the lower borough that those dogs from the capital will actively journey to.¡± Massimo Leonetti explained, taking a drag from a cigarette before releasing a thick cloud of smoke into the air.

    ¡°I already know all this. So, what does that have to do with the Blackfeather Group?¡± Alain asked, annoyed.

    ¡°It¡¯s their method of entering the legitimate world. Haven¡¯t you noticed how the Blackfeather Group is able to enter and leave the Steel Wastes freely, when lone scavengers have to risk their lives to do so? This is because they¡¯ve reached an agreement with the Scrap Lords on illegal terms, and the Peacekeepers with legitimate terms. Constantine Adler is skirting the lines between our worlds in order to further his organisation.¡±

    ¡°He used his ties with the Mechanicus Die Firma to secure an agreement with the Peacekeepers, and his reputation as a criminal to suppress the Scrap Lords.¡± Juno let out a hollow chuckle. ¡°But how did he get a group so hellbent on their idea of ¡®order¡¯ to allow him to enter a place full of disorder?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s precisely because of that which allowed him to enter the Steel Wastes. The lower borough in its entirety is something that the Peacekeepers abhor. But it is the Steel Wastes, this blemish on Leiden that reflects the sun and blinds its citizens that disgusts them most.¡± Massimo Leonetti leaned back in his seat, sighing. ¡°You¡¯ve heard, haven¡¯t you? There¡¯s been a breakthrough in the welding trade these past couple of decades. Now, even scrap metal can be recycled in order to build machinery.¡±

    Juno and Alain¡¯s eyes widened, coming to the same realisation in that moment.

    ¡°So the true reason that they can enter the Steel Wastes freely is because they¡¯re scavenging for scrap metal for the Mechanicus Die Firma. By doing so, they will have officially completed a legitimate business transaction, and be considered an official group, allowed to become a company.¡±

    In the Forger Empire, the quickest way for a company to be considered legitimate was to engage in business transactions with an already-reputable company. This was an alternative method to becoming a sponsored merchant, which didn¡¯t involve establishing a company immediately.

    This meant that if the Blackfeather Group achieved this, they would become the first reputable company operating out of the lower borough. They could slowly make acquisitions into the middle borough, expanding their operations, and bit by bit legitimise their illegal dealings.

    Because reputable companies often collaborated, bringing in the business of their illegal liquor and gambling transactions would catch the eyes of companies associated with those businesses. They would look to partner and legitimise this new customerbase that came in the form of those who lived in the lower borough, an untouched market.

    The Blackfeather Group would become the Golden Goose of all reputable companies looking for a greater profit. Slowly, the life and profit of the criminal groups operating out of the lower borough would be squeezed out of them until there was nothing left. They would be bought out, absorbed by the Blackfeather Group, and there would become no way to rise to profitable heights any longer.

    If the Blackfeather Group were to be allowed to rise to legitimacy without competition, the lower borough would become theirs. There would be no place for disagreement, only acceptance.

    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    Of course, this wasn¡¯t something any of the three men present thought of. As they too were businessmen, their grievances with these developments were more self-centered, greedy. If the Blackfeather Group absorbed all industry in the lower borough, they would be forced to become underlings, middle-men at best. Illegal dealings would cease to have any meaning when the alternative became free of criminal prosecution.

    They would lose everything.

    For Massimo Leonetti, this meant the loss of his status.

    For Alain Monroe, this meant the loss of profit.

    For Juno, this meant the loss of his connections.

    Juno couldn¡¯t remember any single aspect of his life before the war. This was why his name, the true name of war¡¯s craziest merchant, had become such a valuable commodity. It was because even he didn¡¯t know it. He had taken the name ¡®Juno¡¯ from a fallen fellow soldier whose death had been his fault. It wasn¡¯t honouring him, just simple thievery.

    If Juno were to lose the connections he had made during that war, the actions he regretted so much would have been for nothing. He would have no in-roads to be of use to the Mythos Garden, and he wouldn¡¯t be able to seek out information on his past life.

    At the heart of it, he was someone who simply couldn¡¯t ¡®remember¡¯. He was someone who desperately needed to remember.

    Juno let an audible ¡®tsk¡¯ roll off of his lips. ¡°So, what do you want us to do about it? Have you aligned the support of another reputable company?¡±

    Massimo shook his head. ¡°There¡¯s no need. With the three of us here, all the pieces are present to successfully compete against the Blackfeather Group.¡±

    ¡°And how¡¯s that?¡± Alain chided, scowling.

    ¡°With the proprietary funds that Mr. Juno offered during our last meeting, I was able to secure land and property in the middle borough that can be used for production. Of course, I used much of my own funding to secure equipment for said production.¡±

    ¡°So?¡±

    ¡°I thought that if Constantine Adler was occupied in becoming legitimate and expanding to the middle borough, we could both start out legitimate and in the middle borough from the very beginning, essentially beating him to the punch in both of these aspects. Of course, this wouldn¡¯t be enough to get ahead of the Blackfeather Group if they¡¯re supported by the Mechanicus Die Firma. We need to steal something from them in order to undermine their efforts. Of course, the first course of action the Blackfeather Group would take is to legitimise their liquor business. It is just too profitable not to be the first to expand into the middle borough.¡±

    Juno¡¯s lips curled up slightly, catching on to Massimo Leonetti¡¯s hinting. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, Mr. Monroe?¡±

    Alain¡¯s eyes widened, slamming his hands onto the table as he stood up from his seat.

    ¡°You want to use my business in order to snake potential inroads from the Blackfeather Group!? Do you know how long I spent cultivating this business? In order to get the Lord of Ried¡¯s seal of approval, do you know how many connections I had to forge? Of course, I received help from Mr. Juno along the way, but it was still no easy feat! Years of work. Don¡¯t you understand? Years of work! And you want to use this effort of mine as a pawn in this unruly game!¡±

    Massimo Leonetti nodded his head. ¡°Yes. You¡¯ve spent so long cultivating this business, Mr. Monroe. I know the lengths you went to in order to get to where you are now. You¡¯ve lost so much and ended up where you are now. But will you be satisfied staying where you are? I know you crave more.¡±

    Massimo leaned forward in his seat, staring Alain down. ¡°So come on. Expand with us. Make more money. Gain more customers. Deal with more vendors and businesses. Become a company. Are you abhorred by the idea of more money in your pockets? Is your bank not large enough to hold the profit you¡¯ll gain? What is the problem here, Mr. Monroe?¡±

    His tone was sly, calculating. Massimo Leonetti had hit the mark on what Alain Monroe considered most important.

    There was one reason why Massimo Leonetti was able to have a stranglehold over the criminal group known as ¡®Black Rats¡¯. That was because all rats feared a snake.

    ¡°I¡¯m- I¡¯m still restricted by Lindgram¡¯s Trade Commission.¡± Alain stammered.

    ¡°Not anymore. The party you contended with- Callis Alisander, is now dead. There¡¯s no reason for them to restrict your business practices any longer. I¡¯ve checked in with one of my connections in the Trade Commission. They confirmed that you¡¯re free to practice business in any way that you wish. Turning your business into a company is now completely within the realm of possibility.¡± Juno smiled slyly. Working in tandem with Massimo Leonetti, it was like a snake had met a crow, plotting animals wishing to control the earth and the heavens in parallel, the business world under their thumbs.

    Alain Monroe swallowed nervously, before letting out a sigh.

    ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s expand into a company. Let¡¯s drag the entire liquor industry down from underneath the feet of the Blackfeather.¡±

 Chapter 98: Price of an answer

    Lumi¨¨re wandered about the nighttime middle borough. He didn¡¯t mind the danger of the Nameless, and Selaphiel had supplied him with a White Roses uniform when he had been entrusted with the task of investigating the Phantom Syndicate, so the patrolling Peacekeepers didn¡¯t bother him either.

    He would mask his intentions internally with the fact that he needed to seek out answers from Orion Callister, but deep down, he knew there was no harm in the silence. Sometimes, he just needed to spend some time alone, free of all his lies.

    His lies were becoming overwhelming for him. He wondered if he had been too brazen and egotistical, taking on too much at once. It wasn¡¯t that he had personally placed too much on himself, but that so many calamities had begun to gather around him as if he were a magnet for tragedy.

    It was just as Artis Faulkner had once said.

    In recent days, he had begun to forget her more and more. There was once precedence to think about her, but he had been dealing with so much that his association with her had begun to slip into the back of his mind. At first, he had assumed that the strangeness of her words had just been the type of peculiarities that every person had about them, but with what he had learned from all of his dalliances into the world of magic and mysticism, he began to wonder if there was more to the noblewoman than he had first assumed.

    Could it be that she was one of the ¡®Rememberers¡¯ that Aris Sevant had once spoke of? But had she ever shown any malice towards Lumi¨¨re? No, he thought that might not have been the case. In the way that Aris spoke, these ¡®Rememberers¡¯ played the role of friends and family sometimes. They definitely would wait out the opportune moment to strike.

    But what was their goal? To prevent calamity, the destruction of the world by the primordial Sins? Didn¡¯t that make their goal inherently noble? Of course, he had already come to the conclusion that he was the bad guy. But he didn¡¯t think that the people he ¡®considered¡¯ enemies would turn out to be good guys. So what was the differing factor between his enemies? Was it their intentions?

    Could the Rememberers be considered a good faction, but Orion Callister an evil person? Both enemies, but only one with morally good intentions? But if that was the case, was he really a bad person? After all, his intention wasn¡¯t to destroy the world, it was to change it for the better.

    ¡®So which hand should I use for casting magic now?¡¯ Lumi¨¨re smiled, humoured. ¡®Should my left cast for evil, or my right for good? Which person am I, which person do I want to be?¡¯

    Without thinking, Lumi¨¨re wandered through the door of a Crown of Thorns cathedral. There were three cathedrals in the middle borough in total, one acting as the main base of operations for Heaven¡¯s Roses in Leiden. Besides this, there was the monastery in the lower borough, and a cathedral and church in the high borough.

    They held services at all times of the day so that believers of the Goddess could sate their worries and pray for success and good fortunes.

    Lumi¨¨re sat down in the pews, the echoes of the preacher at the front of the chapel¡¯s chamber reverberating throughout the room, entering the listening ears of the pious believers scattered about. They busied themselves with their prayers as they listened, their hands crossed and their heads bowed in reverence.

    As he watched these events unfold, he leaned back in the pew, resting his head on his hand as he let out a sigh.

    He adjusted his glasses, a gleam of light blinding him slightly. This caused him to glance upwards, noticing the ornate chandeliers hanging high above them.

    In the chapel, such things were paid by the donations of wealthy believers of the Goddess. Of course, this wasn¡¯t an occurrence that happened in the lower borough¡¯s monastery. The unerring belief of the dwindlers and the people of Etten-Leur was all they could afford. That was why the gaudiest decoration they could afford was the stained-glass window in the main hall.

    Of course, it wasn¡¯t like such splendor was indicative of their beliefs. It was just nice for believers to be at ease in such a fanciful environment.

    Suddenly, the preacher at the head of the chapel went silent. The reverent listeners who had been bowing their heads slowly raised them in unison. Their heads twisted violently, staring at Lumi¨¨re with maddening grins.

    This would have been unsettling in most circumstances. However, atop the chandelier high above, Lumi¨¨re caught a bouncing glint bobbing up and down, running from one side of the chapel to the other.

    The repeating rabbit ran around high above.

    Of course, this wasn¡¯t a surprise. As a ¡®magnet¡¯, he didn¡¯t really need to seek out trouble. Wherever he went, it was sure to find him. That was the cruelty of fate, but also something that could be actively relied on. Lumi¨¨re removed his half-top hat, placing it beside him before ruffling his messy hair and sighing.

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    ¡°Aren¡¯t you scared that you might alert Heaven¡¯s Roses to interference with the believers of the Goddess, White? You know that priest you¡¯re controlling right now is a valuable member of the church. If he comes to harm, they won¡¯t stop until they find you. And even then, your noble status might not protect you.¡±

    Beside him, the form of a man with fiery-orange hair appeared, grinning madly, as if he had been there all along. Of course, he had, but Lumi¨¨re had just pretended not to notice him for a time. He felt he had to protect the peace of loneliness he had cultivated just moments prior, sad to see it go.

    ¡°That¡¯s fine. I¡¯m not scared of being discovered. Risks are the fun of the game.¡± Orion Callister sat beside Lumi¨¨re, staring at the preacher in the distance. All of the worshipers in the Cathedral had fallen under his control. They weren¡¯t threatening themselves with blades or broken glass as they had before, rather staring maddeningly at Lumi¨¨re, creating a sense of unease.

    Ignoring this, Lumi¨¨re stared ahead casually and asked his first question.

    ¡°Why do inconsistencies follow you? I see the same rabbit every time I meet you. You¡¯re no Deity, so why do they appear?¡±

    ¡°Inconsistencies don¡¯t just apply to Deities attempting to descend into the mortal world, but also to Demons.¡± A raspy, airy voice spoke out from behind Lumi¨¨re.

    ¡°And who might you be?¡± Without turning his head, Lumi¨¨re smiled slightly.

    ¡°My name is Euler. I¡¯m a Demon, of course. I¡¯m contracted with Orion Callister.¡±

    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you hesitant to reveal such information? Wouldn¡¯t it be better for you to conceal such things in order to use them to your advantage?¡±

    Orion leaned his head on his hand beside Lumi¨¨re, grinning. ¡°We¡¯re sure you already know, or at least suspected such a thing. But there are things you don¡¯t know that we do.¡±

    ¡°And what is that?¡±

    ¡°The master of blades, Dreselle Artois is dead.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re¡¯s expression remained unmoved.

    ¡°If you¡¯re trying to disrupt my mental state again, it won¡¯t work.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s true.¡± Euler chuckled. ¡°I killed him.¡±

    ¡°And?¡± Lumi¨¨re replied coldly. ¡°Do you want to disrupt my mental state, or do you just want to die? Why are you bothering me with this information?¡±

    ¡°Did you not come here to have fun?¡± Orion smirked. ¡°Of course, we were prepared for your arrival. You always seem to stray to where we are.¡±

    ¡°I have something to ask you.¡± Lumi¨¨re chided in response. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m here.¡±

    ¡°Information isn¡¯t something to be given out for free. You know this much.¡±

    ¡°I want to know if the Argyle family had a hand in the murder of their son, Casimir Argyle.¡±

    Orion¡¯s eyes glimmered slightly, sitting up straight.

    ¡°I see. Although I don¡¯t know why you would want to know of such matters, I have an answer for you. The price for it might not be something you¡¯re willing to accept, however.¡±

    ¡°And what is that?¡±

    ¡°I want that object you have in your pocket. The one that embodies the powers of the Alchemist Domain.¡±

    ¡®White knows about the Three of Hearts card? No, maybe the existence of the House of Cards isn¡¯t inherently kept to themselves. Someone with connections to a Demon, as well as the Noble class might be privy to information like this.¡¯

    Lumi¨¨re had developed the habit of carrying items with magical elements in his coat which had been specially modified for such things. He couldn¡¯t just leave them in the church, thinking that they may be discovered by Ainsworth or easily uncovered by the Archangel, Selaphiel. Of course, there was the matter of his private room in the House of Cards, but he just the same didn¡¯t trust the Joker. It could be the case that the Joker might take the items out of the private room, or they may be taken by the members of the Mythos Garden.

    ¡®But how did he know I have it? Is it something that the Demon behind me noticed and tacitly informed him of? But why does he want it? Will this instantly give him access to powers equivalent to a Third-Arisen, a Novice of the Alchemist Domain?¡¯

    There were two main points of contention that made this deal seem dangerous or otherwise unbalanced. The first was that if it was the case that attainment of such a card would give Orion Callister access to the powers of an Alchemist, it would become that much harder to kill him in the future. The second was that it was a useful element in trading within the House of Cards. There may come a time when it would be useful to trade this card to a lower-ranked Arisen of the Alchemist Domain.

    There was a third concern. Having a card meant that Orion Callister would be able to gain access to the House of Cards. While this wasn¡¯t inherently a terrible thing, it meant he could potentially discover the peculiarities of Lumi¨¨re and the members of the Mythos Garden, discovering his collaboration, and maybe even his plans to take down the Phantom Syndicate. If his enemy knew just how many problems he was facing, it could be the case that he could manipulate those problems and make his life even more unbearable.

    Of course, Lumi¨¨re didn¡¯t care of such things in the moment. After all, it was a certainty that he would get this card back once he killed Orion Callister. Murdering the orange-haired fool would certainly eliminate all the previous possibilities. And the Nobleman receiving more power didn¡¯t necessarily scare him. If he wanted to do so, he probably would have went down this avenue already. Even if receiving the card gave him power, it wasn¡¯t like Lumi¨¨re couldn¡¯t withstand it. After all, he was a servant of a powerful evil Deity.

    Lumi¨¨re reached into a hidden pocket in his coat, procuring the Three of Hearts card. It depicted a man tearing open the flesh of his chest, revealing three emerald hearts in the open cavity. He casually handed it over to Orion Callister, who took it graciously. Out of the corner of his eye, he observed the Nobleman curiously. However, there was no visible changes, not in his demeanor or appearance. He remained as he had been before, untouched by the Cursed Domain.

    ¡®Maybe it¡¯s the case that one has to start with the lowest card? Perhaps it won¡¯t affect White as I first thought¡­¡¯

    ¡°So, what is the answer to my question?¡±

    Orion Callister smiled slyly before replying casually, ¡°no, the Argyles had no hand in the death of Casimir Argyle.¡±

 Chapter 99: Steam Train

    ¡°It¡¯s time to begin, Callister.¡± A woman dressed in a plain black-and white lace dress held a dark-brown leather briefcase in her hand, smiling softly. A veil obscured her piercing blue gaze, her stark-black hair tied up underneath it in order to conceal it properly.

    A man beside her wore the same sort of attire. However, the dress he wore bore green and white colours, matching his emerald gaze and his fiery-orange locks that spilled down his shoulders. With makeup properly applied to the contours of his face, sharpening his eyelids and accentuating his lashes, he resembled a proper woman.

    This was not because Pandora Callister fully considered himself a woman. This was just the result of a long life of tragedy. He thought that maybe he could avoid the ruthlessness of others if he were to resemble more a woman than a man. Besides, it wasn¡¯t as if his older brother didn¡¯t heavily support his way of living. Pandora knew that Orion would do anything for him.

    Still, that was why Pandora had to try and do everything to stop Orion from ruining himself. This game that he was playing, this made sense of thrillseeking was too dangerous. He just wanted to see his older brother safe. He didn¡¯t want to see Orion hurting any longer.

    Because of Orion¡¯s recent game, Pandora was able to successfully convince the princess of the Faulkner Branch Family in intervening in this matter. Orion had already gathered suspicions that there was some strange sense of interaction between Lumi¨¨re Croft and Artis Faulkner. So, Pandora was able to leverage this relationship between the two in order to seek interference in his older brother¡¯s plans.

    He didn¡¯t know exactly what Orion had planned for Lumi¨¨re Croft, but he knew it would end in one of their deaths. That was always how his older brother¡¯s games ended.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s time. It¡¯s a shame that the High Conference ran for so long this year. I can¡¯t see how my brother is able to sit through the entire thing without complaint.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s just what we must do as Nobles. Don¡¯t forget that you¡¯re allowed far more amenities than a normal person because of your birth. You can at least sit through a few hours of conferences per day.¡± Artis replied casually, readjusting the brooch pinned at the edge of her lapels.

    The two boarded a large iron-black steam train that cut through the middle stratums of Lindgram, disguised properly in order to alleviate any attempts on their lives. After all, they remained of Noble birth. Even the middle stratums remained fraught with crime and opportunity-seekers free of most morals.

    Still, even disguised, they purchased tickets suited for their status. They sat in a private seating room obscured by a sliding oak door, saving them their own privacy. Once they were adequately concealed, they were able to dismantle their disguises a slight amount, relaxing. It would be a long ride to Leiden, so comfort was a necessity.

    There was a small wooden table in the center of the seating room, meant for high-class dining. When an attendant of the train came by, Artis took the liberties to order several common staples of Lindgram. Because of her status, it wasn¡¯t often that she was able to eat some of the foods that people of a lower status would enjoy on a daily basis. Lindgram and Leiden were the two main cities in the Forger Empire, and they were surrounded by rich farmland. This meant that the staple foods of these two cities were abundant with fresh fruit and vegetables, but also rich sauces and savoury salted meat.

    The first dish brought before the two nobles was a large cut of beef that had been blackened and braised, before being glazed with a reduction of apricots and plums. This would cause the reduction to caramelise against the meat, a sticky outer coating binding the finish of thyme, rosemary, and sage to it.

    The second dish was a plate of roasted potatoes, beets, and parsnips that had been similarly glazed with a fruit reduction and an herb finish. While it was meant to mimick similar flavours to the meat, it was truly meant as an accoutrement to the meat, meant to showcase the fruit reduction itself. In the case of the meat, the beef itself was the showcased flavour, taking the forefront spotlight on one¡¯s palate, with the fruit reduction serving as a highlight to the rich flavour.

    In the case of the root vegetables, the flavour was very mild and bare. This ¡®blank canvas¡¯ served to highlight the fruit reduction itself, allowing one to taste the glaze on its own.

    To finish off the meal, Artis had requested a basil tart filled with a mixture of figs and peaches. After it had been baked until it was a light-golden colour, it was faintly drizzled with honey, causing it to glisten underneath the faint lamplight overhead.

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    Seeing the assortment of dishes, Artis¡¯s mouth began to water. While many working class people might consider such an arrangement to be fanciful, it was out of the ordinary for a princess of a direct branch family. Especially for the Faulkner family, at times women were expected to temper themselves. This often resulted in striving for the bare minimum of human survival, ridding oneself of external pleasures in most aspects of life. She often went without eating in order to maintain her form, or eat in very small portions, or otherwise eat bland, filling foods. This was just the life she had to live to present herself socially.

    Still, in times like these, she tended to be gluttonous, seizing the opportunity to eat at its fullest.

    Artis looked towards the female attendant that had brought their meal over, thanking her graciously.

    ¡°That will be one lune, kind young miss.¡± The female attendant bowed slightly, showing deference to her obviously-noble customer.

    This caused Artis to redden slightly, not only because she had an aversion to praise due to her status, but also because she had never grown accustomed to carrying coins with her. Most of the things that could be purchased in the upper stratums of Lindgram cost far more than most things in the middle or lower stratums, usually paid for with paper notes, Len.

    She rummaged through her wallet in the leather briefcase before retrieving a single Len of a denomination of one, handing it to the attendant. She handed it to the attendant. ¡°Ah, keep the change.¡±

    As the attendant accepted the bank note, her eyes widened with a mixture of apprehension to accept such a large sum at once, as well as a deep gratefulness that Artis couldn¡¯t completely understand. As soon as the attendant had left, leaving behind their meal, she turned towards Pandora with her eyebrow raised inquisitively.

    The Callister family was a lower nobility family, so it was the case that he was a bit closer to middle society than she was. She had spent much time in the middle borough of Leiden, but that was only to attend shows and swordpractice at the Fencer¡¯s Association. Artis thought he might have some broader insight into her reaction.

    Of course, this was true. Pandora and Orion had to manage their household from a young age due to the death of both their parents. They had conversed and entertained those of lower social classes often, trying to expand their business endeavours and maintain the relationships forged by their predecessors.

    Pandora suppressed a laugh. ¡°Attendants of steam trains like her usually make around fifty lune a week. This was equivalent to paying her two-week¡¯s salary just for bringing you a bit of food.¡±

    Artis smiled in an embarrassed fashion. She placed a hand to her head, rubbing her temples. ¡°Right¡­ of course. Recently it¡¯s been¡­ hard to remember things like this. Sometimes there¡¯s just too much to remember¡­ and to think I just admonished you for this same thing. I apologise.¡±

    ''Of course, I''m just playing the facade of an immature noblewoman. There truly is too much for me to remember, but things like these are almost second nature...''

    ¡°It¡¯s our job to remember many things, isn¡¯t it? There¡¯s no worry. Besides, the only thing we need to remember right now is the task at hand.¡±

    Artis nodded her head. ¡°Right. So, how are we going to go about this first task?¡±

    Pandora sighed, leaning his head on his hand. ¡°I¡¯d first like to make contact with this Lumi¨¨re Croft.¡±

    ¡°Why is that?¡± While Artis wasn¡¯t necessarily averse to the idea, she didn¡¯t particularly understand why this could be the case. If it was Pandora¡¯s intention to help his brother, why would he choose to seek out his brother¡¯s enemy? This was something that Artis could accomplish easily. She had spent years alongside this magician, to the extent that she would call him a friend. But she just couldn¡¯t grasp Pandora¡¯s motive. This man who resembled a woman was as cunning and plotting as his older brother, so there must have been something deeper behind it.

    ¡°My brother is¡­ someone who wants to win. He has a desperate desire to be on top. This is something that will drive him to be intensely competitive. However, when he loses, he becomes quite shut down. He just can¡¯t handle losing. I believe that if we support Lumi¨¨re Croft in this game between the two of them, he couldn¡¯t handle the loss, and it would become easier for me to bring him home.¡±

    ¡°But this game, as you said, isn¡¯t it supposed to end in death? You said this is what he tends to do, so why would losing be beneficial to him? Wouldn¡¯t a loss mean he dies?¡±

    Pandora shook his head. ¡°Not necessarily. While the goal of his games is to kill himself or his enemy, this doesn¡¯t demonstrate the only ¡®loss¡¯ that can occur. You know that one phrase- ¡®lost the battle but won the war¡¯? It¡¯s something equivalent to that. If my brother suffers many small losses during this game equivalent to small ¡®battles¡¯ that don¡¯t end in his death, he will definitely consider it a loss, and he will be crushed. In this moment, I¡¯m sure it will be easy to convince him to give it up and go home.¡±

    ¡®This family is too twisted and cruel, for a brother to speak about destroying his older brother so coldly like this. He doesn¡¯t show a hint of emotion when he speaks like this. I know what had happened to them in the past¡­ almost every member of Nobility should know about the tragedy of the Callister family¡­ but for it to warp these two brothers to this extent¡­ all they have is each other, and Pandora is bound to honour that idea even if it means tearing his only family apart to keep him close¡­¡¯

    Artis leaned forward slightly, questioning the idea. ¡°But if your brother is a competitive person, why do you assume that a loss will end his nature? Why would he be crushed, as opposed to further driven to try and seek victory?¡±

    ¡°My brother is competitive and a thrill-seeker, but he isn¡¯t a fool. Of all things, he definitely won¡¯t allow himself to be killed. If he loses, he will flee before this can happen. He¡¯s violent, but not suicidal. Bringing him to lose will definitely crush his spirit and cause him to return home, saving the life of your precious magician.¡±

 Chapter 100: Responsibility

    Ainsworth had returned to the main Cathedral in the middle borough after exiting the Astrologer¡¯s Labyrinth, standing before the Archangel of Heaven¡¯s Roses, Selaphiel.

    ¡°Did you have a hard time in the labyrinth?¡± Selaphiel had a knowing smirk on his face, leaning back in his chair. Dozens of stacks of disheveled papers were spread across his desk, although he didn¡¯t seem to pay the mess any mind, so Ainsworth ignored it just the same.

    ¡°There were definitely some troubling aspects, but I feel that this time around, I was sufficiently prepared to handle them.¡± Ainsworth shook his head in response to the Archangel¡¯s question.

    ¡°It only gets worse as you go on. In truth, even I am a bit terrified to try and progress my own abilities.¡±

    ¡°Are you really? This puzzled Ainsworth. How terrifying could the labyrinth be to scare such a powerful man? Of course, just because one possessed great physical power did not mean they were sufficiently equipped to deal with the mental encroachment of such a place. That was the true danger of the labyrinth, the madness it tried to bring to oneself. ¡°I saw many Roses traveling by cart out of Leiden the other day. Are they being sent on a mission somewhere?¡±

    Selaphiel shook his head. ¡°No, they¡¯re going back to Lindgram. Heaven¡¯s Roses is falling apart, Mr. Benedict. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve already recognised this. Most members who rise above the rank of a blue Rose realise this aspect of our organisation. To put it simply, the ¡®higher-ups¡¯ don¡¯t quite care what we do anymore. They think our work can be done just as easily by the Peacekeepers they keep pouring into each town and city throughout the continent. We¡¯ve stopped receiving funding, new members, and other resources almost entirely. They¡¯re taking back most of the remaining members sent to clean up the Nameless here in order to defend the capital instead.¡±

    ¡°Why are you telling me this? Isn¡¯t this the sort of thing that should be kept secret?¡±

    Selaphiel smiled, leaning his head on his hand lazily. ¡°In truth, I¡¯ve also begun to think that we¡¯re nearing the end of our organisation. I don¡¯t think it matters who I tell of this, anymore.¡±

    He paused for a moment, glancing at the window which revealed the sheen of moonlight on the edge of its panes.

    ¡°I¡¯ve put forth a motion to the other Archangels.¡± Selaphiel smiled coyly as he spoke. ¡°I wish to start producing Black Mages for the sake of our organisation¡¯s growth.¡±

    ¡°Won¡¯t that be a dangerous endeavour? Isn¡¯t the entire reason we¡¯ve strayed away from that choice due to their natural inclination for evil?¡±

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    Selaphiel nodded his head. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s certainly the truth. But you must think about the grander picture. If the Peacekeepers have outgrown our own usefulness, then we have to expand to other aspects that they can¡¯t think of filling. I think sometimes, the outcome has to be sought out despite the dangers. This is one such event. Moreover, I think I can use your white Rose, ¡®Nicole Auirore¡¯, as a case study to cite. They might be convinced in this way.¡±

    ¡°You want to use Nicole in order to convince the other Archangels? I suppose it could work, but isn¡¯t his past a red flag in that regard? He became a Black Mage at such an early point in his life. He will have grown up differently in comparison to a man who joins Heaven¡¯s Roses at say, the age of twenty, and from there decides to go down that path.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s all we have. And if it¡¯s not this motion, then I truly have no other ideas.¡± His eyes grew a bit dreary, contemplative as he stared out the window of the Cathedral¡¯s upper floor window. ¡°If it isn¡¯t this, then I¡¯m content to let our organisation die, I think.¡±

    Ainsworth parted his lips as if to respond, but lost of words, closed them just as quickly, only looking back at the Archangel with a despondent gaze.

    Suddenly, the door to Selaphiel¡¯s office swung open. In stepped a man in a bright-white cloak that bore an insignia of a multi-blossomed blue rose on its shoulder and back. It was a blue Rose that Ainsworth had come to know when rising so quickly through the ranks of Heaven¡¯s Roses, a man named Dietrich Reiche. He immediately fell to one knee before the Archangel, bowing his head. ¡°Lord Selaphiel, there¡¯s been reports of increased activity on the Eighteenth floor of Etten-leur! Screaming, howling- one man was said to have traveled there to investigate the matter and has yet to return!¡±

    Selaphiel let out a sigh, sitting back up in his seat as he adopted a serious expression. ¡°But while we still yet live, we should take our duties seriously. Mr. Benedict, take charge of Reiche¡¯s Blue Roses and that White Rose team of yours and go investigate the matter. If you require further assistance, or encounter another Named, send a pigeon. I will personally join you.¡±

    Deitrich Reiche glanced towards Ainsworth out of the corner of his eye, grimacing. This was a common expression given to Ainsworth by his compatriots. While a Blue Rose might have spent several years trying to progress their own abilities in order to reach the necessary level for a Red Rose, Ainsworth had rapidly progressed his abilities through the guidance of Selaphiel. Of course, Dietrich didn¡¯t know that this was partially due to Ainsworth¡¯s sheer desire to grow stronger, that unfathomable horrors did not necessarily deter him, and so he ascribed all of Ainsworth¡¯s growth to coddling.

    ¡°Mr. Selaphiel, isn¡¯t this too much responsibility to put on me?¡±

    ¡°Most definitely. If you fail, it will tarnish my reputation severely. That is the risk I take endorsing you, Mr. Benedict. So, will you run away scared?¡±

    A grin curled up Ainsworth¡¯s lips. ¡°Why would I do that?¡±

    He turned away from the Archangel, letting out a sigh as he walked towards the office door.

    Dietrich reluctantly stood up, his head still bowed towards the Archangel. He couldn¡¯t believe that Ainsworth, who had only joined Heaven¡¯s Roses a few months prior, was referring to such a high being with simple honorifics. Wasn¡¯t this too close of a relationship for them to have, even despite the circumstances? What could that Archangel possibly be thinking?

    Ainsworth called out to Selaphiel as he waltzed out of the office door, a mad grin plastered on his face, white cloak fluttering behind him, ¡°your will shall be done.¡±

 Chapter 101: Named

    Two groups stood at the forefront of Etten-Leur¡¯s eighteenth floor, amidst the rubble and decay of the structure¡¯s interior. The White Roses had gathered, alongside the Blue Roses who served under the lead of Deitrich Reiche.

    However, it was now the case that Ainsworth had taken command due to the orders of the Archangel, Selaphiel. He knew that Deitrich wasn¡¯t too happy about the matter, seeing Ainsworth as inferior to himself, but that wasn¡¯t something he minded too much. If it were just himself under the spotlight, he might not be too strict. But as it was Selaphiel who vouched for Ainsworth himself, any disobedience would reflect poorly on the Archangel.

    Ainsworth wouldn¡¯t tolerate insubordination.

    This didn¡¯t just go for Deitrich or the Blue Rose team, but also the White Roses. Ainsworth had been keeping a close eye on Lumi¨¨re especially, who often tended to go off the rails with his brazen attitude. He would keep the magician on a tight leash. This was what it meant to be raised in experience and power by a being as powerful as Selaphiel, this was just his duty.

    ¡°I hope you¡¯re not too scared, Mr. Benedict, knowing your limited experience. If you don¡¯t want to take the lead, I¡¯m happy to take charge.¡± Deitrich phrased this comment in a friendly manner as his senior who had been in Heaven¡¯s Roses far longer, but it was clearly meant to provoke the Red Rose. Lumi¨¨re scoffed as he heard this. Dietrich Reiche might have made a good Heretic.

    ¡°Quiet, Mr. Reiche. You might stir the monsters lurking around us.¡±

    Dietrich let out an audible ¡®tsk¡¯, eyeing Ainsworth with a bit of vitriol. ¡°And if I don¡¯t?¡± Now, he was openly provoking Ainsworth, testing the boundaries of their relationship. After all, he still had some sort of pride as the Leader of his Blue Rose team. Perhaps this was the way he acted amongst his own members, and was fearful to let that perception of himself slide in front of them.

    However, he didn¡¯t think to anticipate that the man he perceived as a newbie would glanced back towards him, pure bloodlust emanating out of the corner of his eye.

    ¡°This is the authority of a Red Rose, Mr. Reiche. If you can¡¯t accept that, and follow my orders, I will kill you right here for treason against the Goddess.¡±

    Hearing this, Deitrich took a step backwards, a little hesitant. He looked down at the ground as he scowled, replying in a curt tone, ¡°Very well¡­¡±

    Lumi¨¨re¡¯s eyes widened, chuckling under his breath. It was a slight amount of shock mixed in with his elation. Was Ainsworth always as authoritative as this? He had always been the type to take roles of leadership, but to be as cold and unmoved as he was now¡­ something had changed inside of Ainsworth.

    This¡­ this development was pleasing to Lumi¨¨re.

    He might not be alone in the pit of despair of being a man changed by his circumstances, and the bridge that he thought existed between them might not have been so broken after all!

    One could tell the difference in the upbringing of the Roses just by taking a glance at each of their expressions. The White Roses showed no hesitation in making their way through Etten-Leur, but behind them, even the oh-so-powerful Blue Roses seemed to follow like little ducklings.

    While these White Roses had no sort of great power, unlike their seniors, they had experienced many fights and tragedies, slowly but surely strengthening their resolve against danger and untimely circumstance. This was what it meant to be experienced, what the Blue Roses as a rank were meant to go through. In reality, despite their powers, in terms of resolve, the White Roses under Ainsworth were more akin to Red Roses.

    They stopped on a stack of rubble overlooking a large flat area, where many shadowy figures had gathered, moving about and speaking to each other in a warped, incomprehensible language. This was the strangeness of the Nameless. It was likely that many of the beasts on this floor had grown up around themselves, rather than people, and so they could only half-mimick humans, stealing their identities but not their knowledge of language.

    Despite that, they moved around carts with multiple tarp-covered cages within, moving boxes of goods and several other antiquities. It was like they were operating a business on the abandoned floor of Etten-Leur. This just wasn¡¯t possible without human influence. But how could they develop such a routine system themselves without picking up on human language?

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    This could only be possible if they were being used like slaves, pawns underneath a more developed mind!

    Unlike the first time they had tracked down Nameless, Ainsworth chose to be far more cautious in his approach. He called for the Roses to move silently through the shadows, eyeing the beasts from afar. They counted them out, around three-dozen in total. There was no trace of ritualistic magic in the area, but considering their numbers, he chose to play it safe and send a pigeon to the Main Cathedral in the middle borough, detailing their positions and the quantities of monsters.

    If there were just half the number present, Ainsworth wouldn¡¯t feel too scared about taking them down, but it was better for them to call for backup as long as they could afford it. Because they had taken caution and didn¡¯t reveal themselves brazenly, they could keep the Nameless in place as long as they wanted until they were sufficiently prepared.

    However, his caution was soon after cut through by the appearance of another figure. This shadow in the darkness than had emerged began cutting through the Nameless moving carts and goods, slicing them into countless pieces to use up their regeneration and sap their strength.

    This shadowy figure flew through the air in the darkness, resembling a woman, short but quick. That figure¡¯s silhouette reshaped as they watched it dash, into a beast of larger, sharper proportions. Large tentacles of miasma shot out from the woman¡¯s form, piercing one of the Nameless Spiders through the skull, causing it to crash to the ground with violent reverberations.

    Everyone, apart from Lumi¨¨re, was horrified by the appearance of such a figure.

    Of course, Lumi¨¨re had come to know this person well. He grinned, glancing at the woman as she continued her attack on the beasts.

    ¡®Is Ms. Yuran here too¡­? I was careful not to be seen with her during my final performance at the show hall, but I should be careful not to interact with her here too, just in case¡­ this is really going to be an exciting event!¡¯

    Lumi¨¨re drew his blade, prepared to strike at any moment.

    ¡°Is that a Nameless¡­ slaying other Nameless¡­?¡± One of the Blue Roses murmured, wavering dismay in his tone. Other than that, there was a general sense of appreciation for the sheer uniqueness of the situation. Shock, fear, and anticipation that the mysterious female figure might turn her attention on them was also illuminated by their expressions.

    ¡°Are you going to stand around and watch, or are we going to do what we set out here to do?¡± Ainsworth pulled a thin white glove over one of his hands, grimacing as he then reached into his pocket, procuring box of paper cards, the ones that had been sealed with starlight in order to weave certain spells. ¡°Forget the arrival of our backup, we have to start now! If they flee from whatever is in the darkness, we¡¯ll miss our chance to eliminate them! The eighteenth floor will remain a danger to the public!¡±

    ¡®Damn it! I wanted to take our time, but if they¡¯ve already been startled, there¡¯s definitely a big chance that they¡¯ll flee! They might become too hard to track down, or they might flee to lower floors and kill others in order to re-disguise themselves!¡¯

    Suddenly, a figure crouched down behind Lumi¨¨re, looking at the sight as they did.

    ¡°Ah, there¡¯s a bunch of bugs here¡­¡± An eerie, shrill voice echoed through the area around them. A miasmic blade swung itself at Lumi¨¨re¡¯s head from behind, barely scraping against his cheek as he raised his own over his shoulder, blocking the strike. He saw a scowling face out of the corner of his eye, one that revealed half of his skull as his flesh melted away.

    As soon as the blade-wielding figure had appeared, all of the Nameless stopped fighting in the distance, prostrating themselves and chanting, ¡°Mammon! Mammon! Mammon!¡± The figure immediately fell back, standing alongside the Nameless that had been fighting.

    Lumi¨¨re dodged backwards, facing the figure as he grimaced. ¡®Mammon!? A Named was here! Was this a trap for us, or did we just happen to stumble into this danger!? What did Selaphiel say about the Named?? That it takes three Red Roses to take down, with no guarantee that all three will survive? We were only able to get close because I tricked him, but there¡¯s no way I can do such a thing again¡­¡¯

    He rejoined the White Roses, eyeing down the figure in the distance. Cecilia had vanished into the shadows, likely detecting the appearance of such a foe. If Lumi¨¨re could make contact with her in secret, they might be able to devise a plan to take Mammon down¡­ with her help, it might just be possible¡­

    ¡®If a Named is a Nameless that has received the blessings of the Blasphemer Goddess, is it alike to becoming a Geas-Bestowed? What kind of power will the Blasphemer Goddess have given a Named like Mammon? What contingencies should I prepare? Our lack of knowledge is our greatest weakness right now¡­ can I talk to him, plot something out? No, he¡¯s not like Asmodeus. He didn¡¯t speak to us first, rather attacking. He might not be open to a dialogue, open to a ploy¡­¡¯

    ¡°Our advantage has been given up! We need to fight!¡± Ainsworth shouted. However, beside him, the Blue Roses had begun to cower. Even Nicole, who was known for his anxieties, had drawn his own weapon, wielding the shadows around him in preparation for battle.

    Could they really survive until backup arrived?

 Chapter 102: Little Dreamer

    Lumi¨¨re reached into his coat, pulling out Cerces before firing it directly at the terrifying figure¡¯s head. However, unexpectedly, the man tilted his head to the side, causing the bullet to whir through the air behind him at high speeds, missing completely.

    ¡°Leave now, or I¡¯ll kill you.¡± Unusually, the Named didn¡¯t attack immediately once more, rather opening a dialogue as Lumi¨¨re had first hoped. Was this his opportunity to try and deceive the Named? But how would he accomplish such a thing? He needed to create some semblance of belief- something that would give him the initial upper hand. But he couldn¡¯t use his ¡®Ophelia¡¯ persona in order to act as a Demon before such a powerful creature! He just didn¡¯t have the adequate status to support that belief! Just as when he had tried it against Asmodeus, his lie would fall flat on its face!

    ¡°You would just let us go like that?¡± Ainsworth furrowed his brow as he faced the man, stepping up beside Lumi¨¨re with his blade drawn.

    The Named lurched forward, swinging his large blade towards them both without hesitation. ¡°I said leave! Not speak! Are bugs born without brains!?¡±

    ¡®Why does he want us to leave so badly, that he would scare us away instead of let us go!? Is there true importance to what¡¯s inside the carts!? There¡¯s something more going on here that we didn¡¯t anticipate, that Nameless would choose to be born and grow up without human interaction, their sole and strongest natural intuition!¡¯

    Without command, the shady figures in the background began to chant in unison, a chorus of disharmony echoing into the halls of the eighteenth floor. They raised their hands up to the ceiling sky where the nineteenth floor sat, grinning madly as if greeting an old friend.

    ¡°The lady cloaked in mist; she who is draped in blood and strife.  You are the interwoven fate of the world, the judicature of life and death. You are also the master of stories, the weaver of flesh and blood. You are the champion of those without names, and the rival of peace. Your benevolence is what I seek. Please, take upon yourself these humble offerings. Hear my name and repeat it with your lovely voice; invite me to your kingdom and in turn take my place.¡±

    ¡°This flesh is yours, this body is yours; my mind is yours, my love is yours. Descend to our mortal realm and bless your loyal followers with your presence! I name you, and so you shall gain control-¡°

    ¡®This isn¡¯t a ritual like the one before! Where are the flesh pillars from before!? Why are they chanting if it¡¯s not a ritual!? Was it just a lie before!? Do they not need to set up a physical ritual to cause the descent of the Blasphemer Goddess!? No! This can¡¯t be the case, don¡¯t think rashly! If this were really true, they would have done so from the moment they controlled enough human bodies to chant together! Leiden would have already long-fallen!¡¯ Ainsworth¡¯s mind raced as he raised his palm, granules of starlight appearing within the air before circling around his hand, weaving itself into the shape of intricate, numerous runes. The area around him was immediately basked in reverie, complete silence that drowned out the final ritualistic chant. Unable to speak aloud, Ainsworth had completely foiled their plot! Of course, this silence would only remain as long as retained enough physical and spiritual stamina, or until he was killed. They would have to delay as long as possible, until Selaphiel could arrive!

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    The Named, Mammon, suddenly appeared before Ainsworth, staring him down with his monstrous form as he spoke plainly. His deep voice reverberated through the silence that Ainsworth had cast, ignoring it entirely.

    ¡°My Mother, Lace of Blood.¡±

    The incantation was finished! A Named could do such a thing!? Of course, it was a being that only an Archangel could kill with ease! If that was the case, then it certainly exceeded Ainsworth¡¯s level of power! He had been foolish to think that the Named would sit by idly!

    Ainsworth and the Roses behind him immediately braced himself, Lumi¨¨re preparing  an alternate persona in order to alleviate madness in the meanwhile. Countless illusory voices had already begun murmuring in his head, weaving a false story around Ophelia, something he had hoped he would have time to do. But there was no longer any time! If the incantation was finished, would a Deity truly descend on the Eighteenth floor of Etten-Leur!?

    Lumi¨¨re¡¯s hand had become affixed on the silver flute in his pocket, gifted to him so long ago by Thomas Hawthorne. He had been loathe to summon such an unpredictable figure he couldn¡¯t control, but now there might have been no choice! At the same time, he immediately prepared himself to utter the words ¡®Despair¡¯. Even if there was an inextinguishable veil of silence cast over the area, he could still likely use his illusory murmurs to echo the words and summon the persona given to him by Lord Sinner!

    However, despite the Roses preparations, nothing outrageous occurred. They looked around cautiously, eyeing the shadows of figures in the distance, but only silence remained. Was it a failure? Did the descension ritual fail because they hadn¡¯t prepared those ¡®pillars¡¯ of flesh made out of living human beings? If that was the case, then were they desperately trying to cause the descent of their beloved Deity in order to destroy the Roses? But that could be done by the Named, Mammon, alone. There was no need to try and summon the Blasphemer Goddess to accomplish this. What other purpose were they trying to serve?

    Then, in the silence, the Nameless began to twist. Their forms which had already become quite grotesque and horrific became far more illogical. Spindly legs held up monstrous forms, and flesh turned paper-thin and dry. Eyes bulged out of skulls, and flesh that had melted away turned hard and sharp as razors. None of the creatures before them bore the same design or shape, that the children of such a mother might be unique in their disgustingness.

    This wasn¡¯t a descension ritual!

    This was a transformation ritual!

    Suddenly, a spindly hand reached out and grabbed ahold of Lumi¨¨re¡¯s skull, fitting snugly beneath its paper-dry palm. The creature had one long and thin head, which supported a single, writhing eye atop it. Lumi¨¨re¡¯s gaze froze as he stared at the creature, its hand slowly curling up its fingers as if to crush his head between them!

    Then, the world suddenly shifted, and he saw nothing apart from light. The darkness vanished, and Lumi¨¨re appeared in a world of splendor.

    He glanced around him, a vast sky of oranges and violets hanging over a garden of purple and golden wisps. Blinking lights like neon-green sprites floated around him, fireflies bounced and weaved about. Flashing every so often, the vast garden was periodically illuminated, and Lumi¨¨re was able to catch glimpses of the figure in the center of the garden. He sat at one end of an ornate black-iron table, a warm smile bathing over Lumi¨¨re through his hazy expression.

    ¡°You¡¯re in quite a situation, aren¡¯t you, little Dreamer?¡±

 Chapter 103: Fair Warning

    As Lumi¨¨re stared at the man whose face seemed enveloped in a fine, indescribable haze,  his stomach churned. There seemed something wildly familiar about him, like there was a memory buried deep in the back of his mind that desperately tried to resurface. He kept his finger on Cerces¡¯s trigger, ready to fire a bullet at any moment. However, there seemed something¡­ unique about the situation. Like a bullet might not save him at all were this man to become aggressive.

    Lumi¨¨re was actively aware of this man¡¯s facial features, thick curly brown hair and a calm gaze. His face was well-sculpted with fair skin, but at the same time, he couldn¡¯t quite discern it, as if as soon as he recognised them, he forgot them just as fast.

    This man¡­ where did he know him from?

    An enemy?

    Then why not attack?

    An ally?

    Then why summon him without warning?

    Lumi¨¨re took a step forward, cautiously, yet still released his grasp on his pistol as he holstered it underneath his arm. He had found that memory buried within many others.

    He stood and stared at the man for a moment before his eyes softened, approaching the table and sitting across from him.

    ¡°Mr. Demeter, why have you pulled me here?¡±

    This man was the person who had given him the idea of becoming a magician almost seventeen years ago, that strange sense of wonder and intrigue that had furthered his desires and motivations. While he had now laid to rest that part of his life, it didn¡¯t mean that this man was any less important.

    ¡°You don¡¯t seem too surprised by this. Has that little boy once so full of passion already become desensitised to strange matters and terrifying occurrences?¡± Demeter leaned on his hand as a soft smile made its way onto his expression.

    ¡°Fairly so.¡±

    He let out a curt laugh. ¡°You were in danger. Wouldn¡¯t you prefer a moment to think?¡±

    ¡°At what cost does this moment come at?¡±

    ¡°Nothing. This is kindness, Lumi¨¨re Croft.¡±

    ¡°That seems a bit harder to accept than a price.¡±

    ¡°Sometimes, perhaps that is understandable. For now, shouldn¡¯t you worry about how you¡¯re going to get out of this situation?¡±

    ¡°I know how-¡°

    ¡°You don¡¯t want to use ¡®Despair¡¯. You don¡¯t want Ainsworth and the others to find out about your affiliations.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re¡¯s calm expression twisted slightly. ¡°No, you¡¯re quite right.¡± He pressed his fingers together, sighing. ¡®Of course a mysterious figure capable of pulling me into such a space would know about my life¡­¡¯

    ¡®Is this random performer also an important part of a greater plot? The Lord Sinner¡¯s plan? Perhaps many parts of my life have always been arranged for his ¡®goal¡¯. Should I be angry about this, or is it far too out of my control to waste any emotions on? Well, I¡¯ve been gifted with the ability to carry out my own plans, so maybe my own life isn¡¯t too big of a price¡­¡¯

    ¡°I¡¯m part of no one¡¯s plan.¡±

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    Lumi¨¨re¡¯s eyebrow twitched. Of course, such a strange being should also have the capabilities to sense his thoughts. Life was already absurd, so what was one more strange thing on top of that? He felt that he had experienced far too many strange things to react to this entire event. After all, in that moment, he was only seconds away from death, yet he was able to have a full conversation with the man.

    ¡°Then I¡¯m truly confused. If you were some affiliate of Lord Sinner, then it would explain how you know about my ¡®affiliations¡¯ and why you¡¯ve been a part of my life up to this point. Now, it¡¯s truly up to any possibility.¡±

    ¡°Who says I¡¯ve been a part of your life? Isn¡¯t this just an assumption? Perhaps we are just strangers who have met twice now before.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying there¡¯s no reason for our meeting?¡±

    Demeter shook his head. ¡°I did not say that. But I also think you are far too obsessed with offering everything a ¡®reason¡¯. Sometimes things happen for no reason at all.¡±

    ¡°Coincidence?¡±

    ¡°A lack of fate, perhaps.¡±

    ¡°Can there be such a thing?¡±

    ¡°Fate is not so determinable that it is tied to so many things. Just most things.¡±

    ¡°Strange.¡±

    ¡°Life is.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re leaned back in his seat, pondering the matter that rested beside his sudden appearance in Demeter¡¯s garden.

    ¡°What if I amplify my own fear in order to strengthen myself against the blow?¡±

    ¡°You are not afraid.¡±

    ¡°The fear of the Roses?¡±

    ¡°It might take too much time. Don¡¯t you remember how you must feel all of those emotions at once? It might serve to cloud your judgment in the moment.¡±

    ¡°Can I kill it with my blade?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s currently crushing your skull in. It has the ability to renew its flesh. What could you do with your blade in the split instant it will take for you to die?¡±

    ¡°Then what can I do?¡±

    ¡°Lie.¡± As he spoke, Demeter raised his hand, glancing down at an iron-wrought flower-shaped pin that had appeared in his hand.

    ¡°Still as perfect as its first day.¡±

    Noticing this, Lumi¨¨re reached across the table, beckoning for the strange magician to give it back. ¡°The woman I gave it to kept it carefully all these years.¡±

    ¡°Sad you couldn¡¯t do the same for her.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re¡¯s eyebrow twitched. ¡°Did you invite me here just to antagonise me?¡±

    Demeter shook his head. ¡°No, it was a matter of necessity. You¡¯ve overlooked a crucial detail. I¡¯m only here to warn you, little Dreamer.¡±

    ¡°Warn me of what? What kind of crucial detail could I have possibly missed? Are you talking about White? Or maybe you¡¯re talking about how my name is being passed around in the Nobility circles, making me a prime target for their ire. What if not that? The plan of Lord Sinner, or the history of his primordial sins? Is it related to the House of Cards, perhaps the Joker himself?¡±

    ¡°The Rememberers.¡±

    ¡°Artis Faulkner?¡±

    ¡°One of them, perhaps.¡± When Demeter began to speak of such a matter, his voice took an unusually cold tone. ¡°But not her, someone else that you¡¯ve already met.¡±

    While Lumi¨¨re had certainly pondered who in his life could possibly fulfill such an ancient, world-transcending role?

    ¡°Give me the answer, don¡¯t play me a fool with riddles.¡±

    Demeter shrugged. ¡°Who¡¯s to say? It could really be anyone, couldn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°A price? What do you want?¡±

    ¡°I want a promise, little Dreamer.¡±

    ¡°A promise? That¡¯s all? What do you want me to do?¡±

    He smiled warmly once more, turning his hands over to show his palms. ¡°It¡¯s simple. When all of your lies fall apart, promise that you¡¯ll seek the help of your uncle, Lewis Croft. He¡¯s a good man, an honourable man. When there comes a time that you have no home at all, seek one in his demesne.¡±

    ¡®You know-¡® Lumi¨¨re hesitated in his own thoughts, sighing as he realised there was no purpose in his silent rumination. ¡°You know my uncle, even when I myself don¡¯t know his name? You have some prior connection or knowledge of him¡­ I¡¯d like to know that much. I didn¡¯t even know I had an uncle until I met with my mother prior to her death.¡±

    Speaking of such things, Lumi¨¨re expected some sort of turmoiling emotion to rise up in his heart. Surprisingly, such a thing did not occur. It was like he had finally managed to kill off that part of himself that felt.

    ¡°And you said¡­ ¡®when¡¯ my lies fall apart, ¡®when¡¯ a time comes that I have no home at all. What are you anticipating, Mr. Demeter?¡±

    At some time that Lumi¨¨re had not witnessed, the smile on Demeter¡¯s face had transformed. It was¡­ less warm, far less human. It seemed calculating, expectant, foreseeing¡­

    ¡°Focus less on your enemies, Lumi¨¨re Croft. Focus more on yourself. There is no danger greater than the person closest to them, which is themselves. The person you overlooked was a little boy you met a great deal of tragedy ago, a boy named ¡®Etta Aziz¡¯. He¡¯ll be a great shield to utilise in the coming events. Make contact with him as soon as possible.¡±

    He raised his hand, snapping his fingers, the garden around them beginning to fade.

    ¡°For the obstacle ahead, you must simply do as you always have. Be a liar.¡±

 Chapter 104: Like always

    ¡°There¡¯s some sort of idea that I¡¯ve had¡­ one where I can¡¯t allow myself to lose¡­¡±

    Lumi¨¨re grasped at the Nameless creature¡¯s wrist as his mind returned to him in the present moment, but the figure continued to press its fingers into Lumi¨¨re¡¯s head. In a split second, his head burst open, spilling blood, skull fragments, and brain matter on the ground below.

    The Roses watched in horror as Lumi¨¨re¡¯s corpse dropped to the ground, Ainsworth forced to stare down the Named who stood before him, frowning, with anger churning in its many eyes that peered through its open skull.

    ¡°One bug, dead.¡±

    The Red Roses who stood behind Ainsworth and the others, including Deitrich widened their eyes, backing up from the group of Nameless that slowly approached. Nicole raised his hand, remaining hesitant to act without Lumi¨¨re¡¯s say-so. Of course, having seen this magician just be killed shook him, but he was loathe to believe such a thing. He had felt like he had seen Lumi¨¨re die as many times as they had fought battles together. If he were to try and weave the shadows of the Nameless, he did not know if those monsters hiding within would be affected. He did not know whether killing the Nameless ¡®killed¡¯ or ¡®freed¡¯ those monsters along with them. If it were the case that he killed the Nameless yet freed the monsters, in such a place filled with pitch-black darkness, if they were to recognise that Nicole could sense them, they might attack without him having any awareness as to where they were!

    However, in the split second after Nicole and the other White Roses prepared to act, a shadowy figure sprung from behind the Nameless creature.

    ¡°Ultimately, I have to create a lie of myself to achieve victory!¡± Lumi¨¨re appeared behind the Nameless creature, his mangled corpse on the ground having disappeared completely. In the split second before he was killed, he created the illusion of his own death, causing the Nameless creature to lose its aggression towards him, leading its own thoughts in the meanwhile.

    ¡®If I let it continue on for maybe a second longer without creating an illusion, my head definitely would have burst!¡¯ Lumi¨¨re sneered as he raised Cerces to the back of the Nameless creature¡¯s head, pulling the trigger. The bullet cascaded through its skull, causing an eruption of greyish brain matter and crimson blood to splash across the Roses¡¯s surroundings.

    Seeing the sudden appearance of Lumi¨¨re, the Red Roses were shocked, Ainsworth and the White Roses scoffing inwardly. This was just the norm for the strange and enigmatic performer.

    To them, the magician¡¯s miraculous illusions were somewhat known, but to the Red Rose team, this was something they had never seen before. It was mesmerising, horrifying, perhaps even outright magical. And to those who wielded magic, such a thing was ironic in itself.

    Suddenly, the Named, Mammon, swung his massive blade towards Ainsworth¡¯s head, intending to lop it clean off of his shoulders. Due to the speed, Ainsworth was barely able to dodge the blow, the edge of the blade cutting clean into his ear. He recoiled, grasping at the side of his head as blood trickled down his cheek and neck before raising one of the cards from the deck of starlight. Countless twinkles burst throughout the air, surrounding Mammon in an instant, exploding as soon as Ainsworth threw the paper card towards the first star in the chain. The Named was caught up in an explosion of crimson flames, recoiling back as he let out a shrill cry.

    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    Raising his own power as an Astrologer had allowed him far more delicate control over the starlight weaving. This particular spell was alike to the fireball spell he had previously used in the Astrologer¡¯s labyrinth, but there were a few tweaks to its makeup that caused such an explosion to occur. It was more like rather than summoning one fireball, which consisted of a singular spell. In reality, the card contained multiple runic circles that were akin to smaller, more condensed fireballs, spheres of pure energy that writhed with anxiousness, ready to explode at any moment. Making contact by throwing the now-useless card at the first ¡®star¡¯ in the chain caused it to shake rapidly before bursting into bright balls of crimson, echoing this effect until it had engulfed Mammon completely! This was the outcome of his finer control, the ability to come up with and weave far more complex spells!

    But just because it had an obvious effect didn¡¯t mean he could relax and sit back! This was a Named, not just a normal Nameless creature!

    Ainsworth readied another card, noticing the presence of the magician appearing beside him. The man let out a steady breath and took off his hat, throwing it to the side. His messy head of hair that remained barely kept back by a thin strand of twine began to flutter, giving off a comely yet simple appearance. His eyes- blue as sapphires, fierce as fire. This man, proven a heartthrob, seemed different in that moment. For a moment, Ainsworth saw a back larger than any other, as if he was carrying the weight of the world on top of it. He shook his head and looked at Lumi¨¨re once more, steadying his heart before glancing back towards Mammon, who had already recovered from the starlight attack.

    ¡°How long do we have to delay?¡± Lumi¨¨re asked calmly as he stepped beside Ainsworth, manually reloading his pistol with another bullet before drawing his blade with his other hand.

    ¡°Five¡­ no, four minutes maybe? It depends on whether Mr. Selaphiel is currently at the Main cathedral or visiting the high borough¡­¡±

    Lumi¨¨re pulled a glove over his unmarked left hand, nodding. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s do it.¡±

    Ainsworth glanced over to Lumi¨¨re, grinning slightly. This boy he had known his whole life had always been marred by tragedy, always on his back-foot. Even without power, in the face of horrifying beings, he had adapted. He had remained dependable, always. While he had felt they had grown estranged in recent months, perhaps this magician had never changed at all. He was the same Lumi¨¨re that Ainsworth could count on to carry more than his weight.

    Still, now that he had grown more powerful, he couldn¡¯t simply depend on Lumi¨¨re to carry his own. He would have to support him and all the people behind him. That was his duty as a Red Rose¡­ no, as a member of Heaven¡¯s Roses.

    ¡®I¡¯m not intelligent and cunning like Lumi¨¨re, I¡¯m not resourceful like Cornifer, or brave like Midas. I¡¯m not entirely selfless like Ramses, and although I said otherwise, Dietrich Reiche is definitely more powerful than I am! But I have the backing of the Church¡¯s most powerful servant! If I don¡¯t give everything I have here, then it will certainly tarnish everything he¡¯s given to support me!¡¯

    He raised his blade, placing its edge on his arm as he pointed it towards Mammon.

    ¡°You and me, my friend. Like always.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re smiled slightly as he pointed his pistol towards the Named, his eyes growing fierce and full of determination.

    ¡°Like always.¡±

 Chapter 105: Sea of Mammon

    Ainsworth''s gaze immediately navigated towards the group behind him. While the White Roses had already sprung into action alongside their leader, the Blue Roses still hesitated in their movements. It was clear that such a situation was far too much for them to grasp!

    Still, in their large number, it might still be accomplishable to move in a group.

    Ainsworth glanced over towards Dietrich Reiche, who, while a bit more composed than the Blue Roses, still had his feet stuck in the mud below, failing to act immediately.

    "Wake up, Mr. Reiche! There''s work to be done. Move with your group together and take the Nameless out one by one! We''ll delay the Named until Mr. Selaphiel arrives!"

    Ainsworth''s tone of voice seemed to immediately snap Dietrich out of his daze, turning his gaze towards the Blue Roses. "Right, got it!" Rather than oppose Ainsworth in such a situation, it seemed he was at least good in judging that his pride was worth less than his and other''s lives.

    He drew his sword, yelling at each of the Blue Roses to move into position as they joined the White Roses in fighting against the Nameless who had been moving various wares in carts.

    This allowed Ainsworth to focus completely on the figure ahead, whose fury seemed to seethe within its gaze. His eyes contained sets of eyes, like the rings of a beheaded tree, constantly dilating and pulsating as if they would burst at any moment. It was clear that the ritual, rather a transformation instead of a descent ritual, had brought about many changes in his appearance.

    Large multi-sectioned legs, quite like a bugs, containing carapaces along their writhing lengths, had protruded from the side of his face through the opening in his jaw. What purpose they served, if any, was unclear. Still, it was quite unnerving. Even though Ainsworth had seen so much, he still felt a little shaken by such inhuman and mystical things.

    When he glanced over towards Lumi¨¨re, his eyes widened. There wasn''t the same apprehensive expression on his face. Ainsworth had expected, based on their previous interactions with a Named, that Lumi¨¨re would be the first to be scared or terrified. He had fought face-to-face with Asmodeus, and so he should know just how dangerous of a situation it was.

    So why was Lumi¨¨re grinning?

    "Let''s go." Ainsworth turned his attention back towards the Named. Whether Lumi¨¨re was excited or not didn''t matter. He already knew that the magician was a strange individual, he always had been. All that mattered right now was delaying.

    Lumi¨¨re immediately pulled the trigger, firing a bullet directly towards Mammons''s head. It cascaded through his jaw, causing the bone to visibly splinter and shoot its fragments outwards in all directions. The Named recoiled, grasping at the side of his face as the bug legs began to twitch, as if desperately searching for direction. They didn''t waste the moment when the powerful being was stunned, however. In an instant, the two had appeared beside him, leaping into the air before swinging their swords towards his neck. If they could behead him and separate his head far away from his body, it was possible that they could severely disorient him, therefore buying enough time for Selaphiel to arrive!

    ''DAMN IT, STRIKE!'' Ainsworth''s mind raced as the two made contact with Mammon''s neck. The blades cut cleanly through the flesh of his neck, causing blackish-red miasma to spill in all directions, his head separating from his body.

    Mammon''s hands shot out, dropping his own blade to the ground as he grabbed a hold of Lumi¨¨re and Ainsworth''s heads, holding them suspended in midair. Their own swords dropped to the ground as they grasped at his massive fingers, struggling in midair. Through the gaps in his fingers, they could see the expression of his falling head. It wasn''t surprise, nor was it anger. It was¡­ apathy.

    "Bugs¡­ poor, insignificant bugs¡­" he glared towards Ainsworth, and then Lumi¨¨re, who stared at him with inconsolable hatred, true fury. It was like Lumi¨¨re had been overtaken by immense bloodlust.

    "You fucking idiot." Lumi¨¨re spat through the holes in Mammon''s grasp. "I manually reloaded my gun."

    He raised Cerces towards Mammon''s wrist, the runic engravings on the pistol''s side glowing as the rune enchantment was triggered, reloading his gun automatically, the minute timer having triggered. Because he had manually reloaded before the timer had ended, he had always anticipated having another shot ready soon after! Pulling the trigger, the iron-black bullet cascaded through the tendon-bound flesh of his hand, severing it completely and causing Lumi¨¨re to fall from the ground. He immediately reached down and grabbed his blade before swing it towards Mammon''s other hand, severing it slightly and causing his grasp on Ainsworth to falter. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    Now freed, the two immediately dashed away from the beast, scowling as they continued along with their plan.

    Lumi¨¨re grasped at the hair of Mammon''s large disembodied head, turning around and running away from his body with all of the strength that remained in his legs. All parts of his body ached fiercely, but he remained determined. Glancing backwards, he realised that Mammon''s body had begun to bulge outwards, growing ten times in size at a rapid pace, his flesh renewing as it burst out towards the two Roses. All of the other Heaven''s Roses had become obscured by the horrific view, unsure as to whether they were still fighting the remaining Nameless or not. In the moment, it was only Lumi¨¨re and Ainsworth against the horrifying Godspawn.

    "Go, Lumi¨¨re! Delay as long as possible!" Ainsworth yelled out as he stopped in his tracks, pivoting his heel as he turned to face the rapidly-growing beast.

    Lumi¨¨re grimaced, turning his head away as he continued running in the opposite direction. It wasn''t that he was abandoning his lifelong friend, it was that he trusted in Ainsworth''s strength. He wouldn''t stop and sacrifice his own life! No¡­ he wasn''t someone to do something like that!

    As soon as Lumi¨¨re had run a fair distance away, Ainsworth grinned and brandished a knife pulled from his boot, cutting into the flesh of Mammon that rapidly grew around him, enshrouding his form. Lines were meticulously slashed into the black-and-red miasma, filled with an immense amount of starlight, and allowed to rush past him as Mammon continued expanding. He continued this process for another thirty seconds, allowing the miasma to engulf him as he grasped at his pocket for the deck of starlight-infused cards, pressing it as he allowed it to be carried away from him in the sea of flesh.

    "Go and die, asshole."

    A second passed, and then another, and then suddenly the eighteenth-floor was lit with a bright, dazzling white light, as if the sun had emerged in the darkness. Sound ceased completely on the eighteenth floor, as if the concept had never existed at all. Even though it was only the afternoon, the sky outside seemed much brighter, as if it were exactly midday. The Roses who had been fighting the Nameless had to avert their eyes, and the Nameless who had shed their eyelids immediately went blind as they stared directly at the raging light.

    Then, the light ceased. Darkness returned to the eighteenth floor of Etten-Leur, and everyone''s eyes rapidly adjusted to the shady atmosphere. The already-destroyed rubble around them had collapsed even further, and the environment around them had become covered in a ceaseless sea of liquid flesh, burst apart by thousands of explosions which left shallow craters in the stone. They looked over towards the center of the occurrence, at the figure who stood in tattered clothes, staring blankly up at the ceiling with a grin on his face.

    The culprit of the sudden explosion that mimicked the sun was the Red Rose, Ainsworth!

    Lumi¨¨re glanced hurriedly at the disembodied head he had been carrying, surprised by the strength of Ainsworth''s attack. He certainly knew that his friend had a plan, but he didn''t think its effectiveness would be this great! Could it be that it had killed the Named creature completely? At what level of strength was Ainsworth really at?

    However, unlike what Lumi¨¨re had anticipated, the flesh that clung to the skull in Lumi¨¨re''s hands had vanished, leaving only the bone behind. Mammon''s brain had gone missing! He hurriedly glanced around him, activating his blood tracing ability in order to more effectively track it, but it was to no avail. With the sea of flesh around him, it was impossible to pinpoint Mammon''s brain. And in such an environment, the eighteenth floor had effectively become Mammon''s body! As long as the brain attached itself to the large sea of flesh, he could reform himself once more and use his now gigantic size to take them out all at once!

    Their plan had backfired due to Lumi¨¨re''s carelessness once more!

    Lumi¨¨re glanced towards Ainsworth and the Heaven''s Roses that had finished off the remaining Nameless, calling out to them with an exasperated, fearful tone. "It''s no use! We have to run!"

    However, there was no response from Ainsworth.

    As soon as the White Roses had reached his childhood friend, he collapsed into their arms. The Priest from the Monastery on Cobblers Street had fallen.

    Around them, the sea of flesh began to churn, hundreds of miasmic tentacles writhing on the surface, thrashing about like giant squid. Their slaps against the stone rang like waves of thunder through the eighteenth floor, causing massive reverberation to echo and stun all those around them. Lumi¨¨re, who had experienced such disorientation before, only faltered slightly, dashing towards the White Roses hurriedly.

    ''What can I do!? If I use ''Despair'', I can certainly take out Mammon! I can call Thomas as well, and perhaps even utilise ''Gluttony''! But if everyone here witnesses that, I will be captured and killed! What do I value more, the lives of my comrades, or my own life!? Can I even escape by myself!? What about Nicole? If word of his death gets out, and my survival remains visible to the Mythos Garden, they will wonder why ''Ophelia'' didn''t assist his subordinate in a time of trouble! They''ll lose whatever trust they have that I will work in their interest! All my lies will collapse regardless of what I do! How can I call myself a master of life''s performance if I can''t set up my own victory!?''

    "Two Named in such a short period of time? What is that Blasphemer Goddess planning?"

    This sentence suddenly rang out from behind the Roses, causing their heads to turn towards the emergence of a man in a long white robe gilded in gold. Lumi¨¨re''s gaze shook, his heart filled with a mixture of regret, anger, and satisfaction. The Archangel had finally arrived!

    Selaphiel looked straight towards the sea of Mammon in the distance, biting his lip as he scowled.

    "Sorry, but I have many things to attend to, so let''s finish this quickly."

 Chapter 106: Strongest Astrologer

    Selaphiel walked solemnly to his novitiate, Ainsworth, who lay quietly in the center of the eighteenth floor of Etten-leur. He knelt beside him, placing a hand on his cheek, before letting out a sigh of relief.

    ¡°Alive¡­ good man.¡±

    Selaphiel turned his gaze towards the magician who stood at the wayside, nodding his head.

    ¡°Lumi¨¨re Croft, good work. You¡¯ve both done well to delay. It was the right call.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re watched as the Archangel reached towards his mouth, biting into the side of his hand with enough force to draw blood, crimson which began to trickle down his wrist before blossoming into writhing thorn-laden vines.

    ¡°Do you need help?¡±

    Selaphiel shook his head. ¡°No, you just rest.¡±

    He waltzed up towards the Named in the distance, glaring at the figure that emerged in the distance as he spoke.

    ¡°What is a Named doing hiding in Etten-Leur? What could possibly be more important than the descension of your Goddess? Is it possible that¡­ she didn¡¯t consider you good enough to manage the task?¡±

    Mammon¡¯s eyes narrowed, his eyes filling with madness as he shouted. ¡°Shut up, bug!¡±

    In the sea of Mammon, he had taken shape once more. Thousands of tentacles that had been writhing around them suddenly lurched forward towards Selaphiel, slamming onto the ground with enough force to rattle the massive city-like structure around them.

    A cloud of dust the size of a building burst into the air, obscuring Selaphiel from the eyes of the Rose onlookers. Having finished their fight against the Nameless, the Roses had gathered beside Lumi¨¨re to watch the fight between two inconsiderably-powerful beings.

    As the dust fell away from the area, the Roses saw that Mammon¡¯s shape had appeared before Selaphiel. However, where they had expected a bloody stain where the tentacles had slammed down on the Archangel, they found piles of flesh and Miasma pooling around him, pieces of tentacles cleanly sliced and placed beside him.

    ¡®What!? Not even a scratch on him!? Even if he¡¯s powerful, how did he anticipate such an attack?¡¯ Lumi¨¨re¡¯s mind raced as he saw this scene. Wasn¡¯t it too out of the ordinary, even if he was incredibly powerful, for him to deftly avoid each attack the Named threw at him?

    Unless he had some sort of powerful that allowed him to peer into the events of the future, of course¡­

    Could it really be? Lumi¨¨re had never considered that Selaphiel was anything more than a Geas-Bestowed of the Goddess, seeing as how he only ever needed to use the thorns to destroy his enemies. But it was very atypical compared to the other Roses who chose to become an Astrologer or an Alchemist¡­

    Suddenly, Selaphiel¡¯s eyes began to glow a fierce sapphire-blue colour, raising his hand as Mammon¡¯s blade swung down towards him. At the same moment as his head should have been cleaved in half, Selaphiel slapped the side of the massive sword, causing it to miss his form by mere inches. He stared up at the ferocious beast as he smiled coyly, his once-annoyed mood improving slightly.

    ¡°For the longest time, I¡¯ve wondered why your Blasphemer Goddess would choose to send such weaklings to the mortal realm in order to pursue descension. If she truly wanted to influence this realm, wouldn¡¯t she send her most powerful servants to fight? Then, I came to an idea. Perhaps it isn¡¯t that she is withholding her strongest fighters, but that she has already sent them. After all, you claim to be such. Is it really the case that the Blasphemer Goddess has no trump cards under her sleeve? Maybe she is not just a Blasphemer Goddess, but a Fallen One.¡±

    Mammon¡¯s eyes burst with fury into splashes of pus and crimson miasma at the Archangel¡¯s provocation. He dropped his blade, lurching towards Selaphiel with his massive disfigured form. Selaphiel moved swiftly towards the Named in unison, slipping right between his arm and torso before appearing on the other side of him, raising his own set of paper cards as he deftly retrieved one, raising it towards Mammon¡¯s back.

    ¡°Is this really all you miscreants can do?¡±

    As soon as the runes on the card had been activated, bright starlight enveloped the space around them, not too dissimilar from the chain of explosions that Ainsworth had used previously, yet far more concentrated on a singular target, the Named before him. The light pierced deep within Mammon, causing his body to shake as it ruptured outwards, exploding him into a thousand pieces of bone fragments and churning miasma. The vines that had grown out of Selaphiel¡¯s blood drippings shot outwards, grasping hold of each of Mammon¡¯s pieces before raising his head towards Selaphiel, eye-to-eye.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    ¡°Do you have nothing to say?¡±

    Mammon couldn¡¯t bear to form a single sentence. Only rage churned within his mind, staring at the Archangel through a sheet of red. Only bloodlust remained.

    ¡°You¡¯re a ¡®bug¡¯.¡±

    Selaphiel emphasised that last word, watching as the rage in Mammon¡¯s disembodied head took shape, dripping miasma sharpening into crystalline spikes before shooting outwards. Selaphiel deftly moved his head, narrowly avoiding the spike before smiling coyly.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m bored of you. This wasn¡¯t fun at all.¡±

    He threw Mammon¡¯s head onto the ground, grinding his foot against the Named¡¯s cheek before pressing downwards, crushing the skull underneath his boot. He clapped his hands together, wiping the dust and blood off of them before turning towards the Roses with a smile. Having finished off the Nameless, the White and Blue Roses had gathered before the Archangel, bowing slightly as he spoke to them.

    ¡°You¡¯ve all done well, considering the circumstances. Did anyone die?¡±

    The Roses were shocked. Was it really this easy for him to kill such a powerful enemy?

    Dietrich Reiche stepped forward slightly, shaking his head. ¡°No, only Ainsworth suffered greater injury¡­¡±

    While the Roses convened, Lumi¨¨re stared at Selaphiel with widened eyes, his gaze shaking with a mixture of amazement and fear. Of course, this Archangel was certainly considered their trump card, that was why they had to delay at all costs. He had seen his prowess against Asmodeus in the middle borough when they had dismantled the descension ritual, but he had never expected that the Archangel would play around with such a powerful enemy like they were a bug.

    As he had assumed, he really had no chance against the powerful servant of the Goddess. He had certainly provoked him at times, but considered that his public presence was his shield. His lies could never fail. It was just like the churches, who constantly had to consider public perception to keep themselves afloat. It was what he had used to manipulate the situation during his final performance. If he lost the love of his audience, then Selaphiel would surely be able to take him down.

    ¡®I had only ever seen him use the Goddess¡¯s abilities, so I never considered that he too was a user of a Cursed Domain! This Archangel was always an Astrologer! What level could he be at!? I really do have to be careful around him. I should hurry up and start investigating the Phantom Syndicate, as he requested. If I can do this much, it might make it harder for him to view me as an enemy in the eyes of others. At the same time, this was already something I wanted to do¡­ I¡¯ll go right after this!¡¯

    At the same time as Selaphiel had finished speaking, the White Roses had knelt beside Ainsworth, Midas pressing runes onto his scarred flesh with his own blood. Emerald lights began piercing the darkness as he pulled cells of flesh from the better parts of Ainsworth¡¯s body, closing the wounds that had already begun to clot. Soon, the Red Rose opened his eyes, taking in short, shuddering breaths as he glanced at his teammates.

    Ainsworth caught sight of the Archangel, struggling to sit up as he bowed his head towards the figure, who shook his head as if it wasn¡¯t something that mattered.

    ¡°Rest for a moment. We need to look around anyway.¡± Selaphiel smiled slightly.

    ¡°There¡¯s something else that requires our attention.¡± Dietrich Reiche called out from behind them. The Blue Roses, slightly battered but not completely injured, had already begun to sift through the goods left behind by the dead Nameless. If they had been conducting such an operation in secret, it was certain that the items they had in the carts must be important in some way. He raised his hand into the air, revealing a long rectangular strip of gold, with ornate engravings present along its surface.

    Cornifer¡¯s eyes widened as he saw this object, standing up and walking towards Dietrich.

    ¡°A golden slate? Isn¡¯t this used to get past tolls? It¡¯s very useful for a trade company, but can only be provided by Nobility. Moreover, it can only be provided by those Noble Houses who hold the highest positions of Government, the Consulate¡­ this would mean it had to come from the Tormoul or Argyle Houses¡­ why would the Nameless have this¡­?¡±

    Lumi¨¨re¡¯s eyes widened. ¡®Argyle? Just like the former husband of Ms. Laertes! Why does this family always have connections to strange occurrences?¡¯

    Nicole must have made the same connection, as he glanced over towards Lumi¨¨re shortly after. He held a grim, hesitant expression on his face.

    Cornifer took the slate from his hands, eyeing it with a grim expression. ¡°A member of the Tormoul or Argyle Houses would never use a golden slate. They would use their seal to pass tolls. It¡¯s just not necessary for the family members of a Consul. This should belong to someone they gave it to.¡±

    ¡°But who could they have given it to? Couldn¡¯t that be many people?¡± Deitrich Reiche interjected.

    ¡°Not necessarily. The Tormoul and Argyle Houses can¡¯t just hand out these golden slates. Even if they were to give one to every noble family, those families would likely only ever allow one person to carry it at a time. But even before that, they would likely only give the slates to families they wish to do business with, whether legitimate or otherwise.¡±

    ¡°Who would that be for each family?¡±

    Cornifer shook his head. ¡°Numerous, too many to count. Although, of note, for the Tormoul family, their main business goes through the Mechanicus Die Firma. And for the Argyle family, it would be the Faulkner, Chatelaine, and Cattleya families.¡±

    ¡°Do any of those families operate out of Leiden? I know the Faulkner family is associated with the Capital, and the Chatelaine family is associated with the Southern Shores, but what about the Cattleya family? I¡¯ve not ever heard much of them?¡± Ainsworth inquired seriously.

    ¡°The Cattleya family lives right here, in Leiden.¡±

    ¡°How come we¡¯ve never heard of them, then?¡± Ramses wondered. ¡°Do they like to keep to themselves?¡±

    ¡°Yes. The current representative of the Cattleya house, Esme Cattleya, only attends the gatherings in the Capital because the true head of the House, his father, is always busy with his business, which he does in secret.¡±

    ¡°What business?¡±

    Selaphiel smiled, responding in place of Cornifer. ¡°He runs the Entertainment District¡­ as the Lord of Leiden¡¯s West Wall, Ried.¡±

 Chapter 107: New Industry

    A moment afterwards, Selaphiel pulled Ainsworth, Deitrich, and Lumi¨¨re to the side. Of course, he had something to task his student with, and as Deitrich was the leader of the Blue Rose team, it was certain that he should be involved as well. However, he had tasked Lumi¨¨re Croft specifically with the investigation into the Phantom Syndicate, and thought that he might as well remind him of his duties, and loop him into the details of their other investigations in order to keep him alert. If it was true that the attack on the show hall was indeed the fault of the mysterious ¡®Phantom Syndicate¡¯, and it wasn¡¯t just the mistruths of the magician, then Lumi¨¨re¡¯s own investigation into the secret and mighty organisation might lead to the furthering of their own into the Nameless.

    He first turned to Ainsworth and Deitrich, the former who had propped himself up with his blade. There was first the most important matter to address, that of the supposed noble involvement in the plot of the Nameless. Even if it was just an inkling of a suspicion, it had to be properly investigated in order to clear them as suspects. If the Nameless parasitism stretched as deep as the Noble underbelly responsible for the lawmaking of the entire city, it would certainly be a detriment to all.

    ¡°I want you two to work together in investigating the matter of the Cattleya family and their possible involvement in this.¡±

    Ainsworth glanced towards Dietrich Reiche, but it seemed that the usually-abrasive man had already mellowed out. Perhaps it was Ainsworth¡¯s show of leadership, or the massive attack he had conjured that almost killed him, but Deitrich seemed far more open to following than he had previously.

    ¡°The Lords of the Walls don¡¯t like their identities to be compromised. This is partly for the reason that it would compromise their safety, and by extension the safety of Leiden¡¯s gates. However, this is also to give them a modicum of secrecy in their dealings. For the Lord of Reid, Allenette Cattleya, this is of utmost importance, as the other Lords view him with a bit of malice. But regarding the possibility of his involvement in the plot of the Nameless, this is something I have chosen to overlook. Please be certain that this information does not leave our circles. Mr. Benedict, Mr. Reiche, please investigate into this matter as secretly as you can.¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t we have to make our way to the high borough to investigate the Cattleya household?¡± Ainsworth questioned curiously.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± Dietrich wondered.

    Ainsworth glanced at him, sighing. ¡°The gateway that leads to the high borough is heavily monitored. If the goal is investigate the matter of the Cattleya Family in secret, wouldn¡¯t traveling through the gate by normal means raise too much attention towards us? After all, it¡¯s not like we¡¯re merchants from the mercantile belt looking to do trade¡­¡±

    Selaphiel smiled coyly. ¡°Before I came over here, I was attending to a matter in the high borough. Not as an Archangel of Heaven¡¯s Roses, but as a Saint of the Church. There were rumours of a very¡­ paranormal existence plaguing the east wing of the high borough. I wonder if it might be used as a pretense for your arrival.¡±

    Ainsworth¡¯s eyebrows raised, coming to a realisation. To Heaven¡¯s Roses, an Archangel was a direct equivalent to the rank of a Saint within a church. When joining the Church of the Crown of Thorns, Ainsworth had been initiated as a Deacon of the Monastery on Cobbler¡¯s Street, firstly training for his service in the Main Cathedral in the middle borough. From there, he had become a Priest after several years of dedication. Due to his quick uprising within Heaven¡¯s Roses after joining, he missed the years of opportunity that it would have taken to achieve the ranks of a Bishop and then an Archbishop, which he should have reasonably achieved by now as a Red Rose. Even Dietrich Reiche, someone below him in rank within Heaven¡¯s Roses, was simultaneously above him within the church¡¯s ranks as an Archbishop.

    However, for the upper brass of the church, directly above them, was the Cardinals, then Prophets, and then Saints. A Saint was the church¡¯s equivalent rank to an Archangel, and was the rank that all Archangels, including Selaphiel, carried along with them when they enacted their duties of church in public. This was supposed to make these incredibly-powerful beings more personable to the average person, so that they might be able to carry out their duties easily.

    Selaphiel was now asking the two of them to distinguish themselves by their rank of Church. But this was something quite puzzling to Ainsworth. Perhaps it would make sense for Dietrich to make his way to the high borough, but for Ainsworth, wouldn¡¯t this still raise suspicion?

    ¡°Why send me?¡± Ainsworth looked over towards Selaphiel, frowning. ¡°I¡¯m only a Priest, it doesn¡¯t make sense to send me on a church-related issue that was relegated to a Saint.¡±

    Selaphiel shook his head. ¡°No one would question the man who¡¯s obviously operating under the direction of an Archangel. They knew I was over there previously. If I sent a Priest in my place, there¡¯s only one obvious conclusive draw that they can come to.¡±

    ¡°That I¡¯m being raised to command.¡± Ainsworth let out a relieved sigh. Of course someone like him had thought this far. No person who would watch them from the sidelines would ever choose to question the decision of an Archangel, nor a Saint. If Selaphiel had chosen to send Ainsworth to undertake the mission in the high borough, it was because he had obviously judged Ainsworth to be worthy of the mission. That would be the conclusion of anyone watching from afar. There would be no suspicion raised towards them as they were investigating, at least not in that manner. ¡°I see. Alongside Dietrich, with the rank of an Archbishop, would be reasonably viewed as a substitution for you. They would just determine that you must have been too busy to attend to such a matter. After all, it might just be superstition that led to the arising of a ¡®supernatural¡¯ matter.¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    Selaphiel nodded his head in satisfaction at Ainsworth¡¯s answer, his head slowly turning towards the magician.

    Lumi¨¨re, who had been standing silently beside them, listening intently with a grave expression on his face. He had already become certain of what Selaphiel wished to speak to him about, so when the powerful figure¡¯s expression crossed over him, he shivered slightly. It was that same feeling as when he had first met him- the idea that Lumi¨¨re was welcome, but could also be killed at any moment. Still, it seemed slightly restrained from before. It might have been because Selaphiel viewed him as a key figure in the restraining of Mammon that had allowed him enough time to make it to Etten-Leur. That didn¡¯t mean that Lumi¨¨re was going to take advantage of it. For the first time in his life, he wanted to crawl back into the shadows so that he might not be perceived.

    Why hadn¡¯t he first viewed the Archangel as such a terrifying creature? Perhaps it was because at that time, he had recently experienced so much tragedy and terrifying occurrences. Now, he was free to look at the being in full light, as a powerful figure that could take him down easily.

    ¡°Mr. Croft, do you recall our previous arrangement?¡±

    Lumi¨¨re nodded towards Selaphiel¡¯s questions. "Yes, Sir. I¡¯ve found a couple leads in the lower borough. I¡¯ll investigate them as soon as I recover my stamina.¡±

    Selaphiel eyed him curiously for a moment before smiling. ¡°Good. Please continue working diligently. After all, this matter is very important to the Church.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re¡¯s eyebrow twitched. Was this Archangel using his own words to taunt him?

    He nodded his head simply in response, unable to bear saying any more.

    Selaphiel reached into his cloak before procuring a small leather booklet, handing it to Lumi¨¨re. ¡°I told you before that I would provide you with identification that would shield you from the eyes of the Peacekeeper forces. If any stop you for reasons you can¡¯t control, just show this to them.¡±

    Ainsworth and Dietrich looked at the booklet with awe, Lumi¨¨re curiously accepting it.

    ¡°Really? A small booklet like this is enough to sway the attention of those order-obsessed soldiers?¡±

    Selaphiel let out a chuckle, replying, ¡°this ¡®little booklet¡¯ is the equivalent to that golden slate we discovered earlier, a pass handed out to Nobles by the Consulate. However, only we Archangels can hand out such a pass. I myself receive two per year. They¡¯re given directly to me by His Holiness.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re¡¯s eyes widened. ¡®This was given to him by the Pope? And then to me? A Half-Believer like me was given such an item by the Greatest Believer? This is definitely blasphemous¡­¡¯

    Selaphiel then turned towards Ainsworth and Dietrich. ¡°You should start your investigation by looking through the goods that the Nameless were transporting. It should point to a specific part of the Cattleya¡¯s industry that you can focus in on.¡±

    ¡°But we didn¡¯t find any people. Isn¡¯t the Cattleya¡¯s main trade slaves?¡±

    ¡°Not necessarily. There aren¡¯t very many people that can afford to buy slaves. Decently-wealthy merchants and Noble Houses that agree with the trade, perhaps. But it¡¯s a dying industry. As civil rights expand, there are far less people that agree with its existence. The Cattleya Family has been forced to expand the breadth of their trade as a result of this.¡±

    ¡°But alcohol is already a very diluted industry in Leiden, same with technology. The Faulkner Family, which doesn¡¯t even live primarily in Leiden, already has a stranglehold on such a thing, as well as the Mechanicus Die Firma. What could they possibly sell that doesn¡¯t clash with the well-established industries in Leiden?¡±

    Suddenly, a call came out from one of the Blue Roses. He approached the group, holding a stack of papers in his hand. A trail of fallen papers followed behind him, from the carts that the Nameless had been pulling. Looking at them in the distance, Lumi¨¨re and the others could see that they had been stacked full of these same papers. Ainsworth beckoned to the Blue Rose, who listened adamantly as he handed a sheet of paper over to the Red Rose. Ainsworth glanced down at the writing on the paper, his eyebrows furrowing as he let out an exclamation.

    ¡°Printing? The Cattleya Family is expanding into the printing business? Why the hell would they do that?¡±

    It wasn¡¯t just any sheet of paper that Ainsworth held. It was the front page of a newspaper.

    ¡°The perception of the public is the downfall of their main industry. What is a good way to sway the perception of the public, Mr. Benedict?¡±

    Ainsworth¡¯s eyes shook as he glanced back down towards the sheet of paper.

    ¡°The daily post¡­ they¡¯re attempting to directly change the image of their trade, trying to twist it into something reasonable by inserting it into something that most people interact with day-by-day¡­ and they¡¯re using Nameless to help accomplish its quick spread¡­?¡±

    Selaphiel smiled. ¡°Perhaps. That¡¯s what you¡¯re going to investigate. I wish you both luck in this endeavour.¡± He glanced over towards the White Roses who had gathered together in the distance. ¡°Also, I¡¯ll be taking Mr. Auirore at this time. I¡¯ll return him promptly as soon as our business has been concluded.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re¡¯s eyes widened. ¡®What business could he have with Nicole? Does he have suspicions about our gatherings? No, first that would have to be based off his knowledge of the House of Cards, and this doesn¡¯t seem to be something that the Church is currently aware of. Even if they are, they don¡¯t seem to place much significance on it. Because of their hatred for Heretics, it would become a prime target for them if that was the case! So what could he want with Nicole then?¡¯

    However, Ainsworth already knew the answer to this question.

    It was time for the revival of Heaven¡¯s Roses.

    Black Magic would soon return to the forefront of magical society.

 Chapter 108: Additional Wish

    After the Blue Roses had finished up their investigations with Ainsworth and Deitrich, and the White Roses had patched up their minor wounds from fighting with the Nameless, they adjourned from the Eighteenth Floor of Etten-Leur. While Ainsworth and Deitrich had to proceed with their investigation into the Cattleya Family, Lumi¨¨re immediately adjourned from Etten-Leur in order to make his way to the edge of Cobbler¡¯s Street.

    It was important he made his way over to the Blackfeather Group¡¯s headquarters. He had already alluded to the ¡®leads¡¯ towards the Phantom Syndicate, and that was incredibly based on whether Constantine Adler had more information on them than he first shared with Lumi¨¨re.

    ¡®I can¡¯t believe I ran into Demeter once more! I had almost forgotten completely about him! But if he¡¯s not affiliated with Lord Sinner, what reason could he have to be watching over me? Is he with the Phantom Syndicate? No¡­ they love chaos, and this seems far too orchestrated. What if his tip was really a trap? But why would he try and help me in the beginning? Is ¡®giving¡¯ me the idea of becoming a magician crucial to some sort of plan? Otherwise, why would he help me stay alive? But it is true that if Etta Aziz remains nearby, I will certainly be in danger! I need to find him! But even if I do, will I be able to defeat him? Perhaps with Thomas¡¯s help¡­ but what if Etta Aziz is one of those Rememberers that doesn¡¯t wish to kill the Primordial Sin?¡¯

    ¡®In any case, I need a way to locate Etta Aziz¡­ is it possible he¡¯s still continuing to hide amongst the Dwindlers? Perhaps there is some way I can draw them out¡­ after the attack on the monastery, they scattered throughout the lower borough, Etten-Leur especially. If I can just group them together somehow, I could easily locate him!¡¯

    ¡®Demeter spoke of my uncle¡­ Lewis Croft? I¡¯ve never heard of such a man¡­ is he someone that my memories have also lost? My mother seemed to know of him, even in her last moments speaking of him¡­ this ¡®good and honourable man¡¯, why would I need to seek him out? How can he help me, and why did that mysterious magician seem to know him so well?¡¯

    As he walked through the lone streets, he glanced down at his blade. It had shattered during the fight. Lumi¨¨re grimaced, cursing. ¡®This was given to me by Master Artois, now dead. I guess it had significant importance to me, once. Should I now kill White instead, to try and fill this hole I can¡¯t by feeling?¡¯

    ¡®Moreover, if I have no blade, I cannot fight without revealing my abilities. Should I summon Juno and use the pretense of my visit to the criminal organisation to make my acquisition of another enchanted weapon logical? What kind of enchantments can you put on a blade, anyway?¡¯

    To that point, Lumi¨¨re realised he had never directly inquired as to how the other Cursed Domains worked. All the knowledge he had obtained boiled down to the fact that they just did.

    He immediately ducked into an alleyway tucked between the harshly-formed stone buildings before closing his eyes, entering a meditative state before opening his eyes to the grand and vast abyss. He ignored the personae, complete and half-complete, that sat beside the ancient mysterious stone wall and grasped at a particular strand that was bound to him, digging into his flesh, sending illusory murmurs through it towards the secretive merchant Juno, wherever he may reside.

    ¡°House of Cards.¡±

    ¡ª

    An hour later, Lumi¨¨re walked in a calm and composed fashion into the House of Cards, using an entryway he had envisioned in the front door to a random house. It was quite convenient that the House of Cards could be entered from wherever one wished to. Then, he supposed that it was also the reason that this mysterious organisation could never fully enter the purview of the Peacekeepers or the Orthodox magical organisations. There was safety in exclusivity.

    Glancing up at the seat at the head of the fanciful hall, he failed to spot the Joker. Ever since his first dalliance with the House of Cards, he hadn¡¯t seen this mysterious figure even a single time. Was it possible that he happened to come to the hall on the days when the Joker wasn¡¯t present? Even if it was coincidence, wasn¡¯t it far too common for the convener to be absent?

    Perhaps he was busy with other matters, Lumi¨¨re thought. But what could such a powerful being spend his days doing besides leisure? Was the life of an inhuman being so different?

    He glanced around the room, noticing the eyes of everyone on him. They were suspicious, hesitant, fearful, but also cunning, as if they were looking to spot any weakness in him in desperation, as if he could still become prey at any moment. After all, the Joker had called this man a ¡®dove¡¯, signifying his low-level in terms of power. He could still be targeted, even if he resembled more of a Criminal Boss than a lone man. How had someone like him immediately become such a figurehead surrounded by well-established members of the House of Cards?

    A man with piercing dark eyes and slicked-back brown hair glanced over at Lumi¨¨re, smiling slightly. It was the crazy merchant, drinking away as he awaited the magician. So, Lumi¨¨re immediately went about ignoring the multitudes of gazes, tilting his head towards their private room¡¯s entrance as he looked towards Juno. Then, he simply waltzed through the door, unperturbed by those watching him.

    After the merchant had joined Lumi¨¨re in the private room, the table having been placed back in the center of the room, he took his seat and began to discuss the matter. Lumi¨¨re first told him of his broken blade, which caused Juno to become inquisitive of how it came about, but after seeing him fail to provide further information, ceased his questioning and asked what he could do for the man.

    ¡°I want you to enchant a blade for me. I thought that if I were to replace mine, I might as well make sure it has the necessary functions to protect myself in the magical world as well as normal society.¡±

    There was a specific reason that Lumi¨¨re had come to the merchant instead of Midas. First, he could obviously tell that he and Midas were not on the best of terms. Even though they had gotten through his fabricated performance together, likely strengthening his image in Midas¡¯s eyes, they still weren¡¯t ¡®friends¡¯ in the perfect sense of the word. If he were to approach Midas with such a request, it was likely he would be turned down. And above all, he wished for all of his magic-related items to be obscured by lack of origin. He did not want them to be traceable to a source. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    If he were to receive a weapon from Midas, it would be clear that he would be the first person a higher-up would ask were the enchanted blade to be discovered. However, just like he had lied about Cerces to Selaphiel, he was hoping he could do the same with the new blade. That was why it was important to separate it from someone he knew in the public purview.

    ¡°What do you want me to enchant it with specifically?¡± Juno wondered, leaning back in his seat before resting his head on his hand.

    Lumi¨¨re let out a contemplative sigh, finally speaking after several moments. ¡°I thought about that on the way here, but I really couldn¡¯t come up with anything that seems logical.¡±

    In saying this, he had tacitly proposed that Juno should come up with suggestions for Lumi¨¨re, without directly confirming that he had no knowledge as pertains to the Alchemist domain. After all, why would a Demon let their beloved vessel lack so much information? That might be tantamount to suicide, to let their one anchor to the physical realm act in such a dangerous world without the upper hand. Letting Juno know this fact about him might damage the reputation of Ophelia, and subsequently his development as a completed persona.

    It was annoying, the extent that he would have to go to protect each and every one of his precious lies, but it was an acceptable amount of effort. Even if his limbs were stretched outwards and apart as he desperately grasped at all of them as they pulled away, he would still try to keep every ¡®performance¡¯ close to himself until they tore him to pieces.

    ¡°Well, if you want to keep your blade from breaking again, I can definitely enchant it in a way that would improve its general durability, but you might lose some of its sharpness in the process. On the other hand, I could do the inverse, and prioritise the sharpness in exchange for its durability. Then, there¡¯s a matter of the excess runeage. I could do any number of things with that¡­ do you want something specific, or should I just play around with it?¡±

    Lumi¨¨re nodded his head, smiling slightly. ¡°I trust your expertise. Please make me a blade that I can use well.¡±

    ¡®I really have no clue what he¡¯s talking about, but there¡¯s another matter¡­¡¯

    ¡°How much will this cost me?

    Juno paused for a moment, considering Lumi¨¨re¡¯s request before responding.

    ¡°Five-hundred Len would be a fair amount¡­ considering the risk and effort involved. I¡¯ll have to procure a decent blade first, and then I would have to drain a large portion of my stamina in the process, putting me at risk if I were to suddenly be attacked. Although the risk of it is low, it¡¯s still considerable enough for me to factor into the price, even forgetting the time it will take me to complete the enchantment on the blade¡­"

    Lumi¨¨re was unable to control his facial expressions this time, his face visibly twisting as he winced at the amount.

    ¡®White gave me two-hundred Len when we first started his game, and I received around one-hundred Len when we took down Johan Basque. With the money I¡¯ve saved from my prior performances, in addition to my final performance, which included a nice bonus from the Madame, I still fall short of the amount! If I factor in future expenses, it would be foolish to spend it all at once¡­ should I just settle for a normal, yet high-quality blade instead?¡¯

    He quickly composed himself, but by that time, Juno had already taken notice.

    ¡®Oh? Does Mr. Ophelia not have that much money? Well, I shouldn¡¯t think about this much¡­ oops.¡¯ Fearful that he might be listening through the connection, Juno immediately wiped the thought from his mind.

    Juno cleared his throat, adjusting his posture in a more professional stance before speaking again. ¡°If it¡¯s not possible at this time, there¡¯s another option we can use as payment¡­¡±

    Lumi¨¨re raised his eyebrow inquisitively, glancing towards Juno. "What would that be?"

    ¡°I would like another wish.¡±

    ¡®Another wish? Yet, you haven¡¯t even used your first? From his perspective, the promise that a Demon will do anything for you, as long as it remains in the realm of possibility, is something that outweighs this deal by a substantial amount! For instance, couldn¡¯t he, on our next meeting, use one of the wishes to request that I pay him back five-hundred and one Len in an instant to put me in a precarious situation? Of course, this isn¡¯t likely to happen, but it demonstrates that he could use this extra ¡®wish¡¯ as a power play in any way he wishes¡­ it could be too dangerous to give it to him¡­¡¯

    Lumi¨¨re sighed outwardly, silver flames enveloping his face, his hair turning a stark-white colour, and his eyes a deep violet. As he glanced towards Juno, he saw a shift in the man¡¯s demeanor. It was far more reserved, more cowardly of such a brazen man. It was clear that at the very least, his half-completed persona already had a visible effect on others.

    He sat and thought for a moment, not minding how he portrayed himself as Ophelia. Shouldn¡¯t a Demon seem casual and carefree, as if the world around them didn¡¯t bother them at all? Afterwards, he smiled and looked back up at Juno.

    ¡°I can offer this to you, or I can give you the money outright. Which would you rather have?¡±

    This was a gamble Lumi¨¨re was making in order to secure a better point of view from Juno¡¯s eyes. He was basically admitting that he had the funds necessary to purchase the blade for his ¡®vessel¡¯, Lumi¨¨re, when in reality, Lumi¨¨re didn¡¯t have any money at all. This would stifle the idea that such a great Demon couldn¡¯t afford to support his most prized underling, keeping his lofty persona afloat.

    He was just hoping that Juno would continue to choose the wish after his next statement.

    ¡°If you choose the wish, it will come with two conditions.¡±

    According to Lumi¨¨re¡¯s expectations, Juno nodded his head. ¡°I can accept any conditions that come alongside it.¡±

    ¡®Of course you would. Isn¡¯t this just too enticing for you? I¡¯m sure you have more than enough money, but the wish of a Demon is just too great to pass up¡­¡¯

    However, Lumi¨¨re didn¡¯t intend to let this wish eat away at his psyche, the possibility of Juno using it at any time would simply cause him too much stress. He wanted to restrict its use as much as possible.

    ¡°The first condition is that it cannot be utilised for one year past the current date. If the commission we¡¯re undertaking is completed before that time, you can use the wish immediately after.¡± Of course, Lumi¨¨re didn¡¯t anticipate that they would take down the Phantom Syndicate in a year¡¯s time. He also didn¡¯t even know if he would be alive in a year¡¯s time. But by that time, he could certainly figure out a way to satisfy whatever Juno could possibly wish for.

    Juno glanced at the Demon, his eyebrows furrowing. ¡®This is essentially a gamble that pertains to my life. If I die before this refractory period is over, then this deal will have been useless to me. He¡¯s also directly declaring that this deal benefits me more than it does One of Spades. In order to balance this out, he¡¯s saying I can¡¯t recoup my costs for a period of time, almost like it¡¯s a loan¡­ but if I wait out this period successfully, I will benefit more than I spent. In essence, this is a loan with a very high interest rate!¡¯

    He smiled, nodding his head. ¡°I can accept this. What is the second condition?¡±

    ¡°The second condition is that you won¡¯t tell anyone about this additional wish, especially those involved in our commission, the Mythos Garden.¡±

    Juno almost couldn¡¯t withhold a scoff. These terms were just too simple. How could he deny them?

    ¡°I accept, Mr. Ophelia.¡±

    Inwardly, Lumi¨¨re chuckled.

    ¡®Good dog.¡¯

 Chapter 109: Two of Spades

    ¡®For the time being, I can use the knife that Thomas gifted me so long ago¡­ I think I left it back at the monastery¡­¡¯

    As soon as Lumi¨¨re left the private room, watching as Juno walked back towards the bar, he felt a strange presence standing right beside him. Glancing out of the corner of his eye, he saw a man in pitch-black performer¡¯s attire glancing up at him. He had stark black-and-white hair, like a skunk, which had been pinned up on one side, falling down to his jawline on the other.

    ¡°Hello.¡± Lumi¨¨re spoke calmly, a bit perturbed by the man¡¯s sudden appearance.

    ¡°You¡¯re¡­ the one of spades, aren¡¯t you?¡± The man¡¯s tone was like gravel, cold, but a hint of excitement following his words.

    Lumi¨¨re¡¯s guard immediately went up, cautiously reaching to his side to grab at a weapon. He made sure that the man noticed this movement.

    ¡°I am. Do you have business with me?¡±

    The man smiled jubilantly, reaching into his jacket quickly. Lumi¨¨re immediately pulled out Cerces, pointing it directly at the strange man¡¯s head. This caused the man to shiver, replying, ¡°I am two of spades, I just wish to offer you something¡­ it is not a weapon, believe me¡­ violence is prohibited here, y¡¯know¡­¡±

    Lumi¨¨re didn¡¯t drop his stance, urging the man with his gaze to slowly pull the item out of his jacket.

    ¡®The two of spades? Does he wish to duel with me? But can he propose a duel if the Joker is gone? And what would be the purpose of him dueling me? I¡¯m a tier below him in terms of power, there¡¯s nothing for him to gain¡­¡¯

    Lumi¨¨re watched as the man pulled out a silver-glowing card, turning it face-forward towards the magician. Lumi¨¨re glanced at the card in the man¡¯s hand, his eyes widening in shock and disbelief. There was an image of a man holding two blade spades, looking down towards them despondently. Pitch-black tears dripped down the man¡¯s cheeks, falling towards his jawline before pouring onto the black spades.

    Was this symbolic? Was the craziness of a Heretic the source of its uniqueness? How strange¡­

    The man twitched erratically from time to time, almost as if he were someone who had realised a spider sat on his skin, jumping out of his own body in fear and shock. He was definitely crazy, as a Heretic should be!

    ¡°You want to offer me this card?¡± Lumi¨¨re¡¯s eyebrow twitched. There was definitely something suspicious about this! Then again, perhaps this man was just that crazy¡­

    The man twitched once more, smiling slyly as he spoke, a hint of lucidness entering his gaze. ¡°You see, the three of spades is a real¡­ crazy bastard.¡±

    ¡®You¡¯re one to talk¡­¡¯

    ¡°I really don¡¯t want to confront him in a duel.¡± The man continued, shaking his head. ¡°Well¡­ let¡¯s just say that I¡¯ll definitely die. Ascending would be too much of a challenge for me at this time¡­¡±

    ¡°So what do you want me to do?¡±

    ¡°Switch cards with me. You will become the two of spades, and I the one of spades. Isn¡¯t this a good deal for you?¡±

    ¡®He wants to give me the card in exchange for mine? This would definitely give me more power, and as how things are going currently, that might not be such a bad thing¡­¡¯

    ¡°How do you benefit from this?¡± Lumi¨¨re questioned the man suspiciously.

    ¡°Well, if you were the one to duel three of spades, I think there might be a better chance for you winning than I¡­ at that time, maybe you wouldn¡¯t forget this deal I¡¯ve done with your benefit in mind.¡±

    ¡°You think I can kill someone that you can¡¯t? What gives you faith in my strength?¡±

    ¡°Maybe not strength, but opportunity.¡± The man replied, his voice now calm and still, as if the conversation had pacified him slightly. ¡°Haven¡¯t you noticed? You¡¯ve become one of the singular ires of the House of Cards in recent days.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re didn¡¯t respond to this comment. Of course, that much was obvious. It was because he had gotten into the ¡®good graces¡¯ with stronger members of the House of Cards as a fledgling, at least from the eyes of onlookers. They didn¡¯t know the truth, that he had really subjugated them all under a series of lies, all to aid his benefit.

    ¡°When you do face that three of spades, you have to be careful with the card. He has a ¡®red card¡¯. I¡¯m still not sure who has the ¡®black card¡¯ corresponding to three of spades.¡±Stolen novel; please report.

    Lumi¨¨re had once heard of the red cards. However, he had not encountered such a thing yet. Were they not just the same as the black cards, duplicates of each black suit?

    ¡°What¡¯s so different about the ¡®red cards¡¯?¡±

    ¡°They can be used to ascend to a higher power, and are perfectly compatible with the black suits, but they are a bit more¡­ unstable. You know the detriment of our Domain, right? Our mental states can be a bit¡­ stringent. It is more so for the red cards. This is why the three of spades is quite scary. Once you receive the card, you¡¯ll have to find some way to support your lucidity, or you might slip into a crazed state.¡±

    ¡®Once again, aren¡¯t you one to talk? However, this is good information. In the future, if I can¡¯t find the subsequent ¡®black card¡¯, there is still a chance of me finding the next ¡®red card¡¯ holder and switching over to that colour in the suit¡­ there is always two chances of ascending at all times!¡¯

    ¡®When I first received the card, the reason for it finding its way to me was unknown. But after seeing it was able to be used to unlock the exit in the Sinner¡¯s Labyrinth, it became clear that it was meant for me, for some strange purpose. What did Thomas once say- how can we manage to comprehend the thought processes of such a supreme being?¡¯ Lumi¨¨re chuckled inwardly. ¡®Is this event also meant for me, crafted in part by my evil Lord? Well, I will gladly accept.¡¯

    ¡°I¡¯m up for the challenge, but if you also want me to face three of spades in your place, I¡¯ll need something more.¡±

    ¡°Like what?¡±

    ¡°I want you to do a favour for me, whenever I ask of it, just once. No questions asked, no refusal. Of course, this favour won¡¯t be something that will put you in too much danger, not too much risk, and I won¡¯t ask anything of you that seems unreasonable or impossible.¡±

    Two of spades didn¡¯t waste any time in considering his offer, nodding his head in acceptance. After all, what crazy man would act logically?

    ¡°So, how will you trust I will abide by this deal? Shall we create a binding deal with the help of an Alchemist? I know one who can do such a thing¡­¡± the two of spades glanced around the room, that strange craziness slowly returning to him.

    The magician smiled in response to this, shaking his head.

    Lumi¨¨re turned towards the crowd of attendants in the House of Cards, a beaming smile on his face as he raised his arms exuberantly. Of course, many were already shooting him glances, so it didn¡¯t take too much to get their attention. Beside the crazy two of spades, he exclaimed, ¡°this man beside me, the two of spades, will give me his card! This is in order for me to kill the three of spades and ascend even higher! In exchange, he has promised to owe me a favour for my contributions! Isn¡¯t this wonderful?¡±

    While one could always create a magically-binding deal, sometimes it was better to choose other options. After all, there was no guarantee that the Alchemist two of spades spoke of would not request a fee. Something like this¡­ to create a public spectacle to shake two of spade¡¯s willpower¡­

    Fear was free.

    If the two of spades broke favour with Lumi¨¨re by failing to uphold his end of the deal, those in the House of Cards would also begin to distrust the man. If he ever sought favours or deals from the others, they would remember how he treated the deal with Lumi¨¨re, and never accept his offers. He was depending on fear to keep the pact in place. Of course, Lumi¨¨re didn¡¯t quite know how he would make use of a crazy pawn that would soon be less powerful than he was. Perhaps in the end, pawns could only be thrown away towards their deaths as a distraction. And there was definitely no one in his life he trusted enough to promote to a queen.

    As he glanced over at the twitching man, he felt the accumulation of fear in his body grow even further. He grinned, placing a hand on the two of spades shoulder as he reached out his hand.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s trade. From now on, I¡¯ll be referring to you as ¡®one of spades¡¯. I hope we can do good work together in the future.¡±

    The man, a little timidly, handed Lumi¨¨re the two of spades card, taking the one of spades in return.

    As soon as Lumi¨¨re¡¯s fingertips made contact with the card, Lumi¨¨re felt a surge of pain radiate through his body, like his blood was freezing cold. A sharp piercing pain shot through his head like a bullet at the same time, similar to the first time he had received a spades card. The world became a bit darker, but it wasn¡¯t like when he had first became a Heretic. He knew the burgeoning eyes and tendrils to be the sight of Lord Sinner¡¯s messengers.

    So that the world was turning dark¡­ meant¡­

    Lumi¨¨re reached a hand toward his cheeks. When glancing back at his fingertips, they were¡­ wet. Stained, with pitch-black blood. His mind began to race, intense thoughts circulating through his mind. He was definitely going crazy!

    The descriptions of his newfound abilities entered his mind, but also deteriorated perversions of his personae, thoughts of violence and madness churning about. He thought of his formative and tragic experiences, of all the deaths and happinesses he had witnessed. All of his emotions and histories came to the forefront, threatening to overload him.

    His one lucid train of thought shouted over the rest, trying to retain his sanity as he stumbled backwards, heading for the door that led to the private room. Juno, noticing the commotion from the bar, furrowed his eyebrows as he saw the black blood drip from Lumi¨¨re¡¯s cheeks.

    ¡®Madness? Is Lumi¨¨re Croft going crazy? Is this something that Mr. Ophelia can¡¯t deal with? No, maybe it¡¯s something that Mr. Ophelia wants him to do himself in order to temper himself¡­ but isn¡¯t a vessel too rare to risk like this? Well, who am I to question a Demon?''

    Still, Juno trailed behind the magician. It was partly so he could see what was going on, as he hated lacking information, but also partly because he wanted to try and help Lumi¨¨re. It was a selfish reason, in the fact that he was still owed two wishes from the Demon of the Garden, but it was a strong enough reason to want to help.

    He watched as Lumi¨¨re Croft touched the door handle to their private room, and stepped inside the room, shutting the door behind him. However, when he followed him into the room, he was shocked to see that Lumi¨¨re no longer remained.

    When Lumi¨¨re opened his eyes, it was to a deep, incorrigible void that stretched into the distance, a massive sprawling labyrinth surrounded by massive shadowy tentacles lying in the center.

    The half-crazed magician had appeared before the Sinner¡¯s Labyrinth once more.

 Chapter 110: The search for the magician

    Exiting the roaring golden-and-silver steam train on the main platform, Pandora Callister and Artis Faulkner arrived in Leiden¡¯s railroad station. It sat at the edge of the middle borough, near the northern wall, Oost-Souburg. Because of the Callister Family¡¯s goodwill with the Lord of the North wall, Pandora was able to secure easy sponsorship into their entrance of the city, despite his never-having been there before.

    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m so tired¡­ sitting for so long makes me feel like I¡¯ve become a statue¡­¡±

    ¡°It was only a day¡¯s ride, Mr. Callister. Stretch yourself out a bit before we continue. We still have a search for Lumi¨¨re Croft to undergo. We also need to find your brother and stop his little ¡®game¡¯, before anyone gets hurt¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re providing honourable formalities now? Is it because we¡¯ve left Lindgram? Are we no longer equal in your eyes?¡± Pandora joked casually, stretching his arms high into the air as he let out a softened yawn.

    ¡°In my eyes, everyone is equal at least in the way they¡¯re human, but societally, everyone starts at different points, with different opportunities. If I don¡¯t conduct myself as such outside of Lindgram, many bad things might happen. When others see a princess conducting herself in unorthodox ways, rumours tend to occur, which might implicate the honour of my family. I can¡¯t let my beliefs make things harder for so many people.¡±

    Suddenly, Artis caught sight of two familiar figures, a regal, gentle woman with pitch-black hair and a man with yellow-and-white locks trailing behind her.

    ¡°Ah, Ms. Chatelaine, Mr. Attendant!¡± Artis called out towards them. ¡°Good afternoon! I didn¡¯t know you had business in Leiden! If that were the case, I would have invited you to share a car¡­¡± Artis¡¯s face paled as she greeted the two, feeling embarassed.

    Turning around and noticing the princess, Cartwell and Zelia immediately took a knee to bow, lowering their heads. They, too, had just returned to Leiden, eager to collaborate with one of spades and Mr. Ophelia in person. After all, Zelia had used her wish in order to ascertain if the Argyle family was really behind her Fiance¡¯s death!

    ¡®It¡¯s the princess! And that strange enigmatic man we met before¡­ are they still traveling together? What is the relationship between the two of them?¡¯

    ¡°Ah, please, rise, the both of you. You know I can¡¯t handle such concessions, even as a matter of preserving face¡­¡± Artis glanced away slightly, motioning her hands as if telling them to stand. Of course, one would not deny the orders of a princess, and so stood up to greet her, Cartwell¡¯s head still bowed slightly. ¡°Why are you both in Leiden? I would have assumed all representatives of Noble houses would have returned to their holdings. Aren¡¯t yours in Sautoise?¡±

    Zelia¡¯s face paled at this question. She hadn¡¯t yet come up with an excuse, because she didn¡¯t expect to meet such a person in Leiden! After all, she couldn¡¯t just tell the princess of the Empire that she was actually an Astrologer, and she was part of a secret commission that sought to take down a massive secretive organisation, and that the leader she followed was a Demon in the vessel of a Heretic! There were just too many secretive and damning things in connection to her presence in Leiden! How could she have been so foolish as to not come up with a cover story?

    Sautoise was the stretch of land along the southern coast, where special elements in the sands of its multitudes of beaches would clash with the water, creating long strips of crystalline fragments, Iyasul Crystals. The Ixlan, the people from that region, would often refer to that stretch of land as ¡®The Arctyle Cove¡¯. But to those less knowledgeable, or just as a matter of commonplace, it could also be referred to by the name of its main city of tourism and trade, ¡®Sautoise¡¯.

    Pandora placed a hand on Artis¡¯s shoulder, whispering in her ear as he eyed the two he had met previously, ¡°a conversation would be nice, but the clock is ticking. We need to locate Lumi¨¨re Croft as soon as possible.¡±

    Zelia¡¯s and Cartwell¡¯s ears perked up as they heard the name through the haze of sound in the railroad station. Lumi¨¨re Croft? Wasn¡¯t that the real name of Mr. Ophelia¡¯s vessel, one of spades? Why was the princess of the Empire seeking out a former show-magician? Was she a fan of his? Or was it some more secretive matter that they simply couldn¡¯t understand due to their lack of information? However, it was clear that their paths intertwined more than they had anticipated. They were both seeking out the same person! But Zelia and Cartwell would see Mr. Ophelia during their next gathering only a week from that point. They didn¡¯t need to seek out one of spades like Artis and Pandora were doing, they only needed to wait.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

    After they had bid their goodbyes, the two groups separated. They had a lot of ground to cover, so Artis and Pandora couldn¡¯t waste any more time.

    ¡°Where do you think Lumi¨¨re could be at this time?¡±

    Artis shrugged her head. ¡°On a day like this, Lumi¨¨re might be performing in the middle borough¡¯s most reputable Show Hall, or he might be practicing his swordsmanship at the Fencer¡¯s Association¡­ but if he is at neither of those spots, he might be at the monastery in the lower borough he grew up in. But due to a recent tragedy involving that spot, it might also be possible that he¡¯s avoiding it to cope with his grief. If he isn¡¯t in any of these spots, it might become very difficult to locate him¡­¡± She turned her gaze towards Pandora, asking, ¡°do you know where we might find Orion?¡±

    Pandora shook his head, sighing. ¡°No, if I knew where my brother might be, I would have suggested we go to those places¡­ I know nothing about this city, but my brother isn¡¯t exactly a creature of habit. He might be staying in the Lord of the North wall¡¯s estate, wherever that is located¡­ I¡¯m sure he relied on that person¡¯s sponsorship to get into the city. The Lorraine family was definitely the one who connected my brother with that cursed Demon¡­¡±

    The Lorraine family was another prominent nobility family in Leiden. Because of their head¡¯s circumstance of acting as the Lord of Oost-Souburg, a representative, his eldest son, was often sent to Lindgram for the Noble gatherings. If they were unable to locate Lumi¨¨re in any of the places he might be, the next best place to check would be to locate Orion at the Lorraine estate. Locating either one of them would become a matter of waiting for them to clash to find the other. But what is it that Pandora just said? Demon¡­?

    Artis looked up at Pandora out of the corner of her eye, suspicion filling up her gaze. ¡®Was that a metaphor for something? I shouldn¡¯t risk asking. There¡¯s still too many strange things surrounding these brothers¡­ that tragedy definitely ruined them beyond a human extent¡­¡¯

    ¡°First, let¡¯s visit the Fencer¡¯s Association, and then the Show Hall. If we can¡¯t find him there, he might just be at the monastery¡­¡±

    So, according to Artis¡¯s plan, they first visited the Show Hall. Artis had learned of Master Artois¡¯s death due to a message that had been sent to her during the gathering. His body was transported to the capital, due to his famed status, and she had even been able to attend his funeral. That such an old legend had been murdered was a tragedy. How strong could his foe have been to best him?

    But in the building, Lumi¨¨re wasn¡¯t to be found. So next, they made their way to the Show Hall near the edge of the middle borough. At the entrance, just past the door, there was a woman with bright-emerald eyes and dark hair that spilled down her shoulders like streams of water. It was the attendant of the Show Hall! She would certainly know whether Lumi¨¨re was present at that time.

    Artis spoke towards the attendant, smiling. ¡°Good afternoon, Miss. I¡¯m looking for Mr. Croft. I¡¯ve heard he works here as a magician.¡±

    The woman, buried behind stacks of papers on her desk, looked up at Artis and smiled. She was gorgeous, almost radiant, like sun amidst the rain.

    ¡°You¡¯re not the first, second, or dozenth person who¡¯s come here looking for Mr. Croft in recent days.¡± The attendant laughed. ¡°In truth, each time, I have to tell everyone that Mr. Croft no longer performs here. His last performance was only a few days ago, right outside of the Show Hall. It was¡­ quite the spectacle, to say the least. Even I haven¡¯t seen Mr. Croft in a while. If you happen to find him, please pass along a message for me. I¡¯ll be¡­ waiting for him to ¡®visit¡¯ once more.¡± The attendant winked as she said this.

    Artis¡¯s face flushed, coming to a realisation as to what she meant. ¡®Was there always multiple women in between me and him¡­? I really never had a chance¡­¡¯

    Crestfallen, their last hope remained far below the middle borough. Artis had only traveled a handful of times down towards the lower borough, as there was rarely reason for her to be there. Once or twice, her family¡¯s help had been requested in the restructuring of key areas, due to their wealth and knowledge, and so she had traveled alongside her father to survey the region. While she thought it quite brilliant, it was also definitely dangerous.

    But for Artis, this wasn¡¯t too much of a worry¡­ not as long as she ¡®remembered¡¯.

    The two stepped down the flowering path that led towards the lower borough, something she had heard Lumi¨¨re speak of many times before. If she were to travel through the gate that led down towards the lower borough, she was afraid it would raise too much suspicion. Her face was well known, after all.

    According to how Lumi¨¨re had spoken of his travels at times, Artis followed the stone path that curved around the dark, towering city structure in the distance, making her way to the lone building on the flowering hillside. She stepped up the path, Pandora trailing behind her, before pressing her hand against the wooden door and stepping inside.

    Pews lined the main hall, a large simple statue of the Goddess at the head of the room. To the side, a group of men dressed in fanciful white attire sat around, drinking tea and conversing. However, the woman¡¯s sudden appearance drew their attention.

    As the men in white-cloaks adorned with pure-white roses glanced up at the woman who emerged through the doorway of the monastery, one set down his teacup and looked towards her in awe.

    She spoke towards these men.

    ¡°I¡¯m here looking for Lumi¨¨re Croft. Does anyone know where he might be at this time?¡±

 Chapter 111: Entrance

    Cornifer, Midas, and Ramses watched as a woman with glimmering-sapphire eyes and stark-black hair, dressed in fanciful clothes that only a woman with wealth would wear waltzed into the monastery on Cobbler¡¯s Street. Stunned, they all set down their drinks in unison, giving the full of their attention to her. She was accompanied by a tall man who was dressed quite similar to her; he was feminine in appearance, with fiery-orange hair tied up behind his head. They were both regal, elegant: not befitting a dark and dreary place like the lower borough. Wasn¡¯t this too strange a visit?

    Ramses extended his good hand pleasantly, leaning upwards as he took a step towards them, smiling genially. ¡°Good morning, Miss, Sir. Are you here to worship? The Father responsible for guiding sermons is currently out, but you¡¯re welcome to experience your own silence if you wish. Just take a seat. If you would like some tea, it¡¯s freshly brewed, and I would be happy to bring you some. It¡¯s a bit of a cold day, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Cornifer took another glance at the woman, up and down, as if failing to recall something. He sifted through the countless memories in his head, the familiar image of a piercing blue gaze entering his mind. His eyes widened, and he immediately fell to one knee, bowing his head towards the woman who had just arrived. The two men looked at Cornifer with surprise.

    Cornifer spoke in a pleasant, genial, and respectful tone, something very uncommon for him. ¡°Your Royal Highness, it¡¯s an honour to make your acquaintance. Is there something we might do for you? In our capacity as Heaven¡¯s Roses, you might use us as you see fit.¡±

    After hearing Cornifer¡¯s words, Ramses and Midas immediately followed suit, falling to one knee and bowing their heads, the former¡¯s mind racing.

    ¡®A princess of the Empire!? I should have hidden myself. Shouldn¡¯t such a person be automatically opposed to someone of my origin? Damn it, what might happen now? What is a princess doing in the lower borough? No¡­ why is such a person even in Leiden? Higher Nobility lives in the high borough, but a person of this stature¡­ what business do they have here?¡¯

    Embarassed, Artis waved her hands, signalling them to stop bowing. ¡°Please, don¡¯t worry about such formalities. I¡¯m not here on any official business. I¡¯m only here looking for Lumi¨¨re Croft. Do you know if he¡¯s currently here?¡±

    Cornifer, Ramses, and Midas glanced towards each other in a confused fashion, Ramses¡¯s anxieties easing a bit. Cornifer looked back towards Artis and asked in response. ¡°Lumi¨¨re isn¡¯t here currently. Is there something you might say to him that I can relay once I see him again?¡±

    There was one massive question that sat at the forefront of the White Roses¡¯s minds.

    ¡®Why is a princess looking for Lumi¨¨re?¡¯

    ¡°No, it¡¯s alright. If possible, I would just like to meet with him. Do you know where he might be at this time?¡±

    Cornifer lowered his head, thinking. He looked over towards Midas, asking in a low tone, ¡°is Mr. Benedict still heading out towards the high borough?¡±

    Midas nodded his head. ¡°At the same time, Lumi¨¨re should be handling whatever ¡®personal matter¡¯ it was that Mr. Selaphiel tasked him with. It might be impossible to determine where he could be."

    Cornifer looked back towards the princess, shaking his head. ¡°No, I¡¯m sorry, your Highness. He¡¯s currently attending to a matter we have no knowledge of, so it would be quite difficult to locate him. I¡¯m sure he will return here eventually, but he tends to be away for days at a time.¡±

    Artis nodded her head in understanding. ¡°That¡¯s alright, then. If you do see him, tell him that ¡®Artis Faulkner¡¯ will be waiting for him where we always have. If I¡¯m not there at that time, he simply needs to ask one of the attendants to send me a message, and I will arrive there shortly. Thank you for indulging me.¡±

    After bowing her head as if to say goodbye, and without the strangely-effeminate man having said a word, the two turned their heels and exited the monastery, leaving the three men confused and shocked.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    Midas let out a chuckle as soon as the two had left earshot.

    ¡°The magician is quite popular, isn¡¯t he?¡±

    ¡ª

    Ainsworth and Dietrich stood before a large gateway at the higher edge of the middle borough, which had dozens of guards stationed outside. Unlike the long lines of merchants and ordinary men and women who would enter and exit the middle borough from one of the four gates, this fifth gate was quite different. After all, very few had matters to attend to within the high borough, so there was no such line waiting for approved entry.

    Ainsworth and Dietrich had dressed themselves in more classical robes, a change of ordinary clothes tucked away in their shoulder bags. After they attended to the Church-related matter in the high borough, they would immediately set themselves on investigating the printing house nearby the Cattleya estate. Their entry was always meant as a farce, a pretense for their investigation. Still, it was a matter of the Church, and so they would handle it seriously.

    They had left the golden slate behind- it was key evidence. If the Cattleya family really had a hand in mobilising the Nameless, and by extension being supported by the Argyle family¡¯s head, Gallian Argyle, then the corresponding evidence would be best brought to the opposing Consul, Rravious Tormoul. After all, short of the Emperor, he would be the best bet in deposing the Cattleya and Argyle families, making it simple for Heaven¡¯s Roses and the Charred Sentinels from the Church of the Eternal Blueprint to take them out. A large operation would certainly be conducted in the high borough of Leiden and the Argyle family home in Lindgram simultaneously, giving them no chance to flee.

    Ainsworth¡¯s blood boiled as he stepped up to the gate, trying not to let a grimace overtake his genial expression.

    If they were really involved with the Nameless, he would make sure they all died.

    ¡°What else did Selaphiel say about the paranormal matter that arose in the eastern segment of the high borough?¡± Dietrich wondered as they walked up towards the massive wall separating the middle and high borough.

    ¡°There¡¯s an evil spirit dwelling there, apparently. Not too powerful, but enough to be a disturbance to the Noble houses in that area. It should just end up being a matter of cleansing it through ritual. Our abilities won¡¯t be needed.¡±

    ¡°That sounds easy enough. But why did a spirit appear in the high borough? Shouldn¡¯t they, of all people, live a life of appeasement?¡±

    ¡°Apparently the spirit is tied to an item that was imported from an area farther away. The City of Deepslate near the northern coast of the continent has begun trade once more.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I recall hearing about that.¡± Dietrich nodded his head understandingly. ¡°They¡¯ve started moving soldiers through the Emerald Isthmus in order to fight against that Nation of Ghouls. For what reason is uncertain¡­ but it definitely means that the City of Deepslate feels secure enough again to begin trade. Due to the peculiarities of that region, we might experience such paranormal occurrences more and more¡­¡±

    Ainsworth took a moment, glancing up at the grey sky as he sighed. ¡°War¡­ so soon, once more?¡±

    He straightened his gloves and collar, stepping up towards the gate attendant sitting behind a polished desk embedded into the inner wall of the gate. He wore a simple yet cleanly-tailored uniform that gave off the distinguished look of a civil servant. Of course, this was exactly what the man was. Besides the guards, he was essentially the only thing that stood between a person and the world of Nobless.

    Seeing them, the gate attendant¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change, a bit sullen and gruff. He simply stared at them, as if waiting for them to say anything at all.

    ¡°Good afternoon, sir. We¡¯re here on behalf of the Church of the Crown of Thorns, under the orders of Saint Selaphiel.¡± Sticking to the cover story, Ainsworth smiled genially. ¡°I am Reverend Father Benedict, and this is Archbishop Reiche. There are matters in the eastern portion of the high borough that require more¡­ ¡®holy¡¯ tending to.¡±

    The gate attendant looked toward Ainsworth, and then slowly towards Dietrich, and then let out a soft, annoyed sigh.

    ¡°Proof of identity?¡± The attendant spoke without a change in tone. He simply didn¡¯t care. But proof of identity? Was this something they really needed? Ainsworth hadn¡¯t been told to prepare such a thing! Was it different for a Saint, a powerful Archangel who could just waltz through the gate?

    Remembering how quickly Selaphiel could move through Leiden, Ainsworth discounted the thought. It was probably the case that Selaphiel didn¡¯t have to go through the gate at all. He could boundlessly leap over the wall itself! To be so powerful that you could ignore gravity itself¡­ Ainsworth couldn¡¯t fathom it.

    He glanced towards Dietrich, who had already raised his hand, palm turned towards the gate attendant. Small flecks of starlight began to glow a bright-sapphire in his hands, coalescing into a greater orb as if he were about to cast a spell at the attendant. Tiny blue particles erupted in the air, starlight dispersing as soon as it had been conjured. While it was prone to explosions, it could also be de-primed just as quickly.

    However, contrary to his expectations that such a careless thing might fail, the attendant nodded his head. ¡°Good enough, you can go.¡±

    Ainsworth¡¯s jaw almost dropped, staring haphazardly at the two men.

    ¡°Huh¡­?¡±

 Chapter 112: Amanuensis

    The high borough was quite different from the lower and middle borough, particularly in its structure and organisation. Because it only served to house the most wealthy and the noble families who resided in Leiden, it was both sprawling, yet bare. Most households covered an extensive area, almost the length of one or two streets in the middle borough, and so while the high borough was large, it was also vastly underpopulated.

    Ainsworth and Dietrich quickly traveled to the Eastern Portion of the high borough, to the Tormoul Household. Of course, it was quite an urgent matter, even if they were using it as a pretense for their investigation into the Cattleya family. They had sent a letter to the Tormoul family previous to their arrival, and although they had been expecting a greeting party, who stood alone while awaiting them was quite surprising.

    Soon, they met with a man who had extensive scarring over his eyelids and cheeks, obviously blinded. He was quite old, but still stood tall and mighty, like a giant. This was the acting head of the Tormoul family house, Harold Tormoul. His older brother, Rravious Tormoul, was the Consul Laevus, acting directly under the Emperor. Needless to say, they were meeting with someone quite important.

    ¡°Thank you for meeting with us, Sir. I¡¯m sure your schedule is quite busy.¡± Ainsworth bowed his head respectfully in order to greet the high figure. He still carried reverence and importance as a member of the clergy, but he was still from the lower borough. He was worlds away from the man before him.

    ¡°This matter is something we could have resolved. Really, I told the Saint that we could handle this matter ourselves. I don¡¯t know why he sent you two in his place¡­¡± Harold sighed, rubbing his temples. He supported his massive form on a large, thick, and ornate cane that dug into the ground with such ferocity that Ainsworth imagined it would fracture the stone paving.

    ¡°Sir, this is a supernatural matter. This is something we are equipped to handle, it is our job. This is just the way of things. I hope you won¡¯t be an obstacle in our handling of this danger.¡± Ainsworth calmly retorted.

    Harold tilted his head to the side, as in the way one would glance side to side, obviously using his hearing before anything else, before letting out another heavy sigh.

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I wouldn¡¯t mind allowing your investigation. Still, I hope you would be careful when exploring that room. Many of the items contained within are artifacts from a very ancient era. If any were damaged¡­ needless to say, they are invaluable and irreplaceable.¡±

    Ainsworth nodded his head, gesturing towards Dietrich to do the same. ¡°Of course, Sir. We¡¯ll err on respect during our investigation. Nothing needs be taken from its place unless absolutely necessary. Even then, cautious hands used, always. After all, what would be the point of mishandling what could become evidence?¡±

    While Ainsworth spoke as if he were a Peacekeeper engaging in a criminal investigation, it wasn¡¯t completely the case. Certainly, Harold Tormoul didn¡¯t take it in that way. He knew of Heaven¡¯s Roses more than anybody, most nobles did. While the public was also aware of ¡®Heaven¡¯s Roses¡¯ as a magical organisation, the fact that their members also held public identities as members of the clergy was not a very public fact. Harold knew that this was just the style of Heaven¡¯s Roses, carried out even through their identities as a Priest and an Archbishop.

    ¡°The building is just north of the garden, you won¡¯t miss it. It¡¯s the only building that way. It¡¯s where we keep most of our¡­ more ¡®valuable¡¯ acquisitions.¡± Harold smiled politely, his once-opposing attitude fading away.

    ¡°Thank you, Sir. We¡¯ll see ourselves out once this ¡®matter¡¯ has been settled.¡± Both bowed their heads before turning away from the head of the household, walking towards the garden.

    Harold Tormoul watched the two figures, his smile slowly fading as he tilted his head once more, as if to listen behind him.

    As Ainsworth and Dietrich faded into the distant garden, a figure in a black-cloak leaning behind Harold¡¯s large form let out a sigh. She had been completely concealed from Ainsworth and Dietrich¡¯s view, but had always been present. She had long ash-blonde hair, and her gaze was concealed by a bright-white lace eye covering, free of her sight just like Harold.

    ¡°Ms. Amanuensis, my Lady¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I couldn¡¯t prevent them from messing about our own studies. If they really kill that spirit¡­ it will become much harder to learn of the Sanguine Guild¡¯s plot.¡±Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    The lady, nicknamed ¡®Amanuensis¡¯, shook her head, smiling softly. ¡°No, that spirit was a lowly member of a bygone version of that organisation. He would only be used as a means of learning more about Anastis Lire and his involvement with the Phantoms. Even then, a foot soldier¡¯s view of the Flogged Emperor would be quite shallow, perhaps even directly contradictory towards his true personality. If we lose this spirit, we just need to keep collecting artifacts until we find someone truly useful¡­ let the Priest and Archbishop kill it, it means nothing.¡±

    Her brows furrowed, a frown twisting the corner of her lips downwards. ¡°What¡¯s more troubling is that figure that left those markings on the artifact building.¡±

    Harold nodded his head, frowning similarly to the lady. ¡°What could that crazy old man know? And does he have such a hatred for that organisation that he would risk sneaking in here just to leave markings? He resembled a wretch¡­ could he be from the lower borough?¡±

    Ms. Amanuensis let out a slightly laugh, covering her mouth as if politely concealing her amusement.

    ¡°Mr. Time has become quite familiar with the wretches in the lower borough. I¡¯m sure that hiding in plain sight is a fantastic perk for someone who can stay eternally youthful¡­ Harold, please track down ¡®Etta Aziz¡¯ for me. He might be able to tell us more about that old man, and if we can find him, we might learn more about Anastis Lire, or at the very least, that Queen of Ghouls that en-maddened that former Emperor of our Empire¡­¡±

    Meanwhile, Ainsworth and Dietrich had reached the building past the garden.

    On the door frame, there were intricate scrawlings of shoddy white chalk, markings that looked as if they served a warning - ¡°Do not remain. Fear the Undying.¡±

    Was this something left behind by Harold Tormoul, or one of the few Tormoul family members who knew about the supernatural occurrence? But judging by how they seemed to wish to handle it themselves, as well as keep it a secret matter, would they mark it so strangely? Who were the ¡®Undying¡¯, and had there been another person aware of this matter who had secretly made their way to this building? Had they only left the markings, or had they gone inside the building?

    As soon as they entered the room, their eyes widened, their bodies ceasing in movement. The air around them was ice-cold, and eerily silent. Almost¡­ deafened.

    Around them, they heard chattering, like teeth clacking against each other in a fast, patterned rhythm. Nails scraped against the wooden walls of the room, the scars on its surface plain and obvious. Stains of blood, illusory, dripped down from those nail marks onto the floor below, seemingly endless in its source. In fact, the floor seemed to be covered in a layer of thick, viscous blood in such quantities that it couldn¡¯t have possibly been drawn from a single person.

    Was this the strange uniqueness of an evil spirit?

    As far as Ainsworth could recall from the minute amount of training he had received when first becoming a Priest, an ¡®evil spirit¡¯ was born from grudges and unfinished goals, someone who desperately needed something settled before they could pass on to whatever heaven or hell they had been promised. To accomplish this, their ¡®malevolence¡¯ would spread around the area they were locked to, drawing attention until a suitable ¡®vessel¡¯ would notice the commotion and investigate, tacitly inviting the evil spirit to invade their body and take over, much like a Nameless would, albeit much more temporarily.

    This was why Ainsworth had been so insistent when speaking with Harold Tormoul. He didn¡¯t want to risk the evil spirit invading him, as that would put Ainsworth and Dietrich in a precarious situation if they had to fight such an old, decrepit blind man. Although, knowing Dietrich, he might have killed the old man without hesitation or grievance¡­

    Still, why was the ¡®malevolence¡¯ of the evil spirit presenting itself in such a way? Pools of blood? Was this spirit once a soldier, perhaps? If the origin of the item it was tied to was truly from the North, the City of Ghouls, then it remained a high possibility. That region definitely had an extensive history of bloodshed, even as so pertaining to itself, disregarding any wars or conflicts waged against other regions.

    Instead of unsheathing their blades, Dietrich immediately pulled out a paper card, one engraved with runes that would summon ¡®light¡¯, hoping to illuminate the darkness of the malevolence and ¡®cleanse¡¯ it to an extent. While an Astrologer¡¯s flame spells had the properties of being quite damaging and ¡®violent¡¯, light was the opposite, having some semblance of properties of ¡®cleansing¡¯ and ¡®healing¡¯. Of course, such properties could be mixed to an extent, as long as an Astrologer had proper knowledge of their own abilities. But as simple as it could go, the cleansing of an evil spirit was a perfect use-case for a light spell.

    Ainsworth pressed his hands together, bowing his head slightly as he began to pray to the Goddess. ¡°Oh Lady of Ivy, the Crown of Thorns beneath the blood-red sun, our Goddess we belove; in you, we are just. This evil in your garden, allow me your blessing- this promise that we will be successful in this cleansing¡­¡±

    Footsteps suddenly echoed through the room, light splattering noises calling out as it met with the layer of viscous blood below. Ainsworth and Dietrich instinctively looked towards the sounds, but nothing remained.

    ¡°Kill¡­ the Queen¡­ rid¡­ the Nightmares¡­ save¡­ Lord Lire¡­¡±

    Heavy breathing sounded out in his ear, but there was no feeling of breaths against the side of his face. Ainsworth cautiously glanced out of the corner of his eye, his gaze widening as he stopped praying.

    Right beside Ainsworth, a ghastly figure stared straight at them.

 Chapter 113: Evil Spirit

    Ainsworth lurched backwards, distancing himself from the spirit as he grimaced. The figure was pitch-black, but had an inkling of a rotting, pus-filled corpse underneath the veil of shadow. Its eyes were bright-red, and it let out a slow, hollow groan as it stared at Ainsworth.

    Where did it originate from? If they couldn¡¯t find the source that bound the spirit to the room, it would be impossible to eliminate it! At least, with their abilities¡­

    The figure¡¯s spiritual body trailed long behind the two, connected vaguely to a small bronze coin at the edge of the room, sitting on a table. As he traced this with his eyes quickly, he realised that the spirit had disappeared from beside him!

    ¡®Kill the Queen? Rid the nightmares? Save Lord Lire? What is this spirit talking about? Is an evil spirit supposed to make sense? Is this his remnant grudge¡­?¡¯ Ainsworth¡¯s mind raced as he tried to recall what he knew about the North, his gaze flitting back and forth as he searched for where the spirit had reappeared.

    ¡®¡®Anastis Lire¡¯ was a rebel who tried to usurp the Forger Empire, wasn¡¯t he? Of course, I don¡¯t think it was called the ¡®Forger Empire¡¯ back then¡­ I wonder why a soldier who calls him ¡®Lord¡¯ would want to kill the Nightmare Queen, that powerful being who wields the Ghouls¡­ wasn¡¯t Anastis Lire one of her servants? It was what allowed him to mount a strong attack force against the Empire in the first place¡­ that ¡®Undying Creed¡¯.¡¯

    ¡®Then again, this doesn¡¯t really matter. It just means that this evil spirit is around one-and-a-half-thousand years old! What an ancient creature! Has he been stuck in this coin the entire time¡­?¡¯

    Suddenly, the shadow lurched forward from thin air, swinging its fist towards Ainsworth, who deftly dodged the blow aimed toward his head.

    ¡°It¡¯s the coin!¡± Ainsworth shouted towards Dietrich. The other nodded his head, adopting a grim expression as he immediately raised his hand, using the paper card to conjure a large ball of light, which he lurched his arms forward to throw. It cascaded through the air towards the pitch-black creature, blowing through its abdomen as specks of shadow flew outwards in all directions. It was a direct hit!

    At the same time, Ainsworth sprinted towards the coin at the end of the room, grinning as if that combination had won them the whole bout. However, no matter how long he seemed to run, he couldn¡¯t get much closer to the table the coin sat upon!

    ¡®What is this!?¡¯ Ainsworth grimaced as he reached into his jacket, procuring a set of paper cards before raising one into the air. It was engraved with runes that would summon ¡®light¡¯, just like Dietrich had used previously. However, instead of summoning a large ball of light to throw in an aggressive fashion, he used a card that summoned a spell that would scatter into thousands of smaller flecks of light. When he conjured the spell, those flecks of light spread out across the room, shrouding the area around them in brilliance that blocked out the shadow around them.

    Instantly, the half-stable spirit vanished from sight. Of course, he would reappear as soon as the spell had burnt out all of its starlight, acting as fuel. Ainsworth had to act quick! He lurched towards the table, an aching pain erupting through the right side of his abdomen. Of course, as he had expected, it was the spirit that was causing the spatial inaccuracy! It had become a matter of blocking out the spirit¡¯s direct influence by causing it to flee from the light. But why was shadow so important to it? And how did it cloak itself in shade?

    Suddenly, as Ainsworth¡¯s hand reached the edge of the tabletop, the flecks of light ceased, the conjured starlight completely burnt out. With nothing left to fuel it, the spell failed to continue. Quickly, darkness coated the interior of the building once more, Dietrich working at breakneck speeds to draw another light spell. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡®Damn it, I forgot to prepare something that would coat the room itself, rather than target an enemy! I was a fool! I¡¯ll have to cast several larger spells at once, and even that might risk damaging the artifacts in this room! The Tormoul Head will be so angry!¡¯ Dietrich chided internally as he raised several cards at once.

    Suddenly, the evil spirit reappeared beside Ainsworth.

    The shadows in the area shifted, rushing towards Ainsworth as if they were flying spears, dozens, intent on killing him. Two of the spears pierced through the back of his hand, pinning it to the edge of the table. He let out a sharp groan, his free hand reaching out towards the bronze coin as he ignored the other incoming spears of shadow, his mind racing.

    ¡®Black magic!? Just like Nicole!¡¯ Ainsworth¡¯s eyes widened. ¡®How can an evil spirit use a Cursed Domain!?

    Another spear of shadow shot through his outstretched arm, arriving clean through the underside of the table. Just at that time, Ainsworth grasped the bronze coin in the palm of his hand, grinning wildly. Crimson flames erupted from the palm of his hand, igniting the coin as it slowly wilted, melting against Ainsworth¡¯s flesh.

    There was something contained between his fingers of the hand that had been pinned to the table. It was a paper card, one of Ainsworth¡¯s flame spells!

    The spirit immediately fell to the ground, its form growing less and less vivid as the flames continued to burn away the bronze coin it was bound to. At the same time, it continued its murmurs, seemingly losing focus on the two men.

    "Lord¡­ I didn¡¯t want to be¡­ a ghoul. Just¡­ your servant. Why did we trust¡­ her? When can we return to Yharan?"

    Ainsworth eyed the ghoul with some sort of empathy. Of course, this was a being that was nearly twenty lifetimes old. He had lived a life long before Ainsworth had, perhaps not even nearly as long, due to his occupation. Ainsworth didn¡¯t even have a full grasp of the history surrounding the man. Still¡­ it was sad.

    But as soon as it seemed as if the spirit had lost focus of Ainsworth and Dietrich, it glanced up towards the two of them. The red glow of its gaze had faded, and although his eyes were glassy, they seemed far more human. It pleaded, desperately so.

    ¡°The Phantoms¡­ don¡¯t let them¡­ trick Lord Lire¡­¡±

    ¡°Remember¡­ the Creed¡­ of the Undying¡­¡±

    It reached out a hand shakily towards them, but just as it did so, its form faded completely, leaving the room in silence. Ainsworth and Dietrich let out a sigh, but many questions were still left at the forefront of his mind.

    ¡®Phantoms? As in¡­ the Phantom Syndicate? Isn¡¯t that the mysterious organisation behind the attack on the monastery, the one that Lumi¨¨re and Mr. Selaphiel have been investigating on behalf of the Church? What connection could they have to this? Maybe there¡¯s more to this than I anticipated¡­ I¡¯ll have to report this to Mr. Selaphiel as soon as we finish our investigation into the Cattleya Family¡¯s printing business!¡¯

    Suddenly, Dietrich and Ainsworth felt as if multitudes of gazes looked at them from afar, despite them being concealed by the room around them. This shook the two men to their core, to the extent that they drew their weapons immediately. Were they being watched, or was this just an instinctual, silly reaction to having vanquished such a supernatural creature only a moment prior?

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Ainsworth sighed, sheathing his blade. ¡®We still have to continue with ¡®that¡¯ plan.¡±

    Dietrich nodded his head in agreement, following behind Ainsworth as they headed towards the door.

    As soon as they exited the building, being sure to quickly tidy up what they had knocked over during the battle against the evil spirit, they met the emerald gaze of an inquisitive man. He had fiery-orange hair, and stood silently afront the building, staring at the two men as they exited. He had a soft, knowing grin on his face, as if anticipating them. There was something quite familiar about him.

    ¡°Ah, good afternoon, Sir.¡± Ainsworth politely greeted the unfamiliar man , wary of his sudden appearance.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to be such a stranger, Mr. Benedict.¡± The man chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m Orion. Orion Callister. I was invited to that party you threw in the lower borough¡¯s quaint monastery.¡±

    He took a step back, raising his hands as he explained himself.

    ¡°I¡¯m a good friend of Lumi¨¨re¡¯s. I think we¡¯ve met before, already.¡± Orion smiled genially, reaching out to shake Ainsworth¡¯s hand. Of course, this was a lie. While he knew about Ainsworth from observing Lumi¨¨re¡¯s daily life, as well as making deals with Euler, they had never truly had an interaction, and he was only trying to subconsciously place that idea in Ainsworth¡¯s head. Now, the Priest would feel as if he was a rude person, to forget someone who might be really important towards his best friend, Lumi¨¨re.

    However, this irked Ainsworth even more.

    ¡®Does Lumi¨¨re have ¡®good friends¡¯?¡¯

 Chapter 114: Plot of White King

    ¡°Ah, perhaps we have met. I¡¯m sorry that it¡¯s passed my memory by, I¡¯ve been quite exhausted lately¡­¡± Ainsworth sheepishly apologised, being sure to not lose sight of the man as he bowed slightly, trying to portray a slightly embarassed demeanor.

    ¡®Moreover, if he was able to make his way to the high borough¡­ is he a guest of the Tormoul family?¡¯

    ¡°Callister¡­ isn¡¯t the Callister family one of the Church¡¯s majour sponsors? Orion Callister¡­ I¡¯ve heard a name that was probably quite similar¡­ this man might be the head of the Callister family.¡± Dietrich leaned over and whispered in Ainsworth¡¯s ear. As he heard this, Ainsworth¡¯s eyebrow twitched. Suddenly, it made sense to him.

    Lumi¨¨re would often make friends with members of high society for two reasons- his hobby of practicing his swordplay as well as his performances as a well-known and reputable magician often drew their attention! It was the same for that figure, Artis Faulkner! If he could get close to someone in line for the throne of the Empire, then it would definitely make sense for him to mix with the Callister family, considering their close ties to the Church that they had both grown up within.

    ¡®Really¡­ what is the limit of Lumi¨¨re¡¯s charisma? How many people will he charm just by existing?¡¯ Ainsworth scoffed internally as he accepted Orion Callister¡¯s hand, shaking it.

    ¡°It¡¯s quite alright, Mr. Benedict. As a Priest of the Goddess, you must meet many new people each day. It¡¯s definitely too hard to remember someone like me.¡± Orion glanced down at Ainsworth¡¯s hand, noticing that his white glove had been stained with blood. ¡°Are you hurt, Mr. Benedict? Should I call a doctor? The live-in doctor the Tormoul¡¯s reserve is quite good at what he does.¡±

    Ainsworth¡¯s eyebrow twitched. He had forgotten to wrap the wounds from when the spears of shadow had pierce his flesh. ¡°No, it¡¯s just a scratch. Don¡¯t worry too much on my account, Mr. Callister.¡±

    He glanced up at the fiery-haired figure, smiling genially as he continued. ¡°Do you know where we might have met?¡±

    This was the only strange part that remained. Ainsworth had never really found himself in the circles that Lumi¨¨re frequented. He hadn¡¯t been much for the blade until he had joined Heaven¡¯s Roses, and show-life didn¡¯t excite him that much. That wasn¡¯t to demean Lumi¨¨re¡¯s performances, they just weren¡¯t the type of entertainment he had enjoyed as a playboy. So how had he run into Orion Callister, from a family he never should have met? Was it at the main cathedral?

    ¡°I attended the party you held in the lower borough a few weeks ago. There, I even met Saint Selaphiel. Although, I think we only met in passing. Perhaps it wasn¡¯t long enough to make an impression on you, as there were many people there.¡± Of course, this wasn¡¯t true. Orion had only been there long enough to mess with Lumi¨¨re and play the story games with the Archangel. Having heard Lumi¨¨re call him an ¡®Archangel¡¯ as he left, he did a bit of research and found that the figure called a ¡®Saint¡¯ resembled the person he had played the game with almost exactly. How the head of a family who donated so much to the Church of the Crown of Thorns didn¡¯t know anything about its Saints was definitely due to his enigmatic attitude towards life, how his time was almost always spent chasing thrills while Pandora minded much of the Family¡¯s business.

    ¡®He met Mr. Selaphiel? Ah, as a large benefactor to the Church, this is certainly feasible. But was Mr. Selaphiel at the party? I didn¡¯t see him once¡­¡¯

    ¡°I see! There were definitely many people there that day, you must have slipped through the crowd. It¡¯s very interesting to have met here again of all places, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Orion nodded his head. ¡°Quite. I wonder what business the Church has up here?¡±This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    ¡°It was a supernatural matter. An evil spirit was trapped within a bronze coin that the Tormoul family had procured from the North.¡± This much was something that Ainsworth could disclose, particularly to a nobleman. Their routes of information would cut through any secrecy they tried to veil over the matter, anyway. While the identity of that spirit might be a bit more important, this much would at least satisfy the man¡¯s curiosity.

    ¡°An evil spirit? It seems I missed something exciting. I shouldn¡¯t have busied myself with business when a thrill was so close to where I was experiencing leisure!¡± Orion laughed lightheartedly. ¡°Well, if you see Lumi¨¨re, please give him my regards. I¡¯ll try and pay him a visit shortly, once I¡¯ve finished up with my business. It was really nice to see you again, Mr. Benedict.¡±

    At the same time, Orion nodded his head respectfully to Dietrich, who stood behind Ainsworth. He bowed his head slightly, smiling. ¡°May the veridian star guide you.¡±

    ¡°Underneath her crown, we find our strength.¡± Ainsworth and Dietrich repeated in unison, bowing their heads in return.

    They watched as the fiery-haired figure walked into the distance past the garden, towards the entrance of the Tormoul Family¡¯s estate.

    ¡°What an interesting man¡­¡± Ainsworth muttered under his breath, glancing at Dietrich. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s time to continue with the plan. First, we¡¯ll disguise ourselves, and then sneak into the Cattleya Estate. For better or for worse, we will certainly discover what the Cattleya Family is truly behind!¡±

    Dietrich nodded his head, a grim expression remaining on his face.

    As he exited the garden, Orion looked towards an obscured building to his left, he saw a light-haired boy with a dull expression and blood-stained clothes staring at him. He approached the boy, smiling as he raised a hand in greeting. ¡°Euler, you look horrible today!¡±

    ¡°Mr. Callister, is it really necessary to insult my necessity? This is all I can manage with half-assed vessels. This one will rot, soon. Uninhabitable, but more than that, disgusting¡­¡±

    ¡°If you want a better vessel, you should give me more power.¡±

    ¡°You know that¡¯s not how it works. Don¡¯t you enjoy this power I offer you? It¡¯s perfectly suited to your strange games.¡±

    ¡°They aren¡¯t strange, Euler. They are my necessity. You know that.¡±

    The boy, who the demon Euler had inhabited, bowed his head. ¡°My apologies.¡±

    After he had leaned against the doorway of the building, Orion casually glanced over and grinned.

    ¡°Euler, what did you learn from observing?¡±

    Trailing the Priest and the Archbishop had become his plot the moment he had seen them waltz into the Tormoul building. Orion had only happened to be present as a matter of rest. He knew that his connection to the Lorraine family would have been explored by those who knew he had entered Leiden. Information was simply the game within the city of rain. However, his connection to the Tormoul family was far more secretive, something that stretched back to the time when he was just a child, not the head of his entire family.

    In that way, the Tormoul household was essentially a secret safe haven for Orion. Because of a stroke of luck, they were able to spy on the fight between Ainsworth, Dietrich, and the evil spirit. Of course, he had known of the evil spirit¡¯s presence due to Euler, and he was planning on investigating the matter himself due to enjoying dangerous thrills, but Ainsworth and Dietrich had arrived at a perfect time. So, he simply sent Euler to spy on them in secrecy, as a Demon was surely capable of doing. After all, their physique wasn¡¯t simply human, even if they had overtaken the body of one.

    ¡°Those Phantoms were also present. This matter seems much larger than just a spirit and a Priest with an Archbishop acting puppy-like behind him. I sensed another gaze nearby, something that seemed incomprehensible. There might be multiple parties at play here.¡±

    ¡°Those Phantoms, the strange beasts that follow the Blasphemer Goddess, the Church, and now another strange being? Initially, I intended only to rest here, but know we¡¯ve come before such enthralling information¡­ should I still bring it to Lumi¨¨re Croft? I know he¡¯s quite interested in those Phantoms. Weren¡¯t they responsible for the death of his beloved? I¡¯ve messed with Black far too much recently. Shouldn¡¯t I reward him for playing my game well?¡±

    Euler glanced towards him with a hint of disdain. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t forget the plan.¡±

    ¡°No, not at all.¡± Orion shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m still going to take everything he has left from him. His friends, his connections, his public perception¡­ even his name. I¡¯ll leave him completely desolate in the face of fate. I just thought it would be fun to give him some hope, some new goal first¡­ it would distract him, in a sense, and make these next events quite traumatic!¡±

    Orion let out a soft chuckle, covering his mouth with his hand as his gaze sharpened.

    ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s time to pay a visit to that Archangel.¡±

 Chapter 115: Priest and Archbishop

    They had exited the Tormoul estate after meeting with Harold Tormoul once more, thanking him for allowing them to proceed with their handling of the supernatural occurrence, quickly adjourning from their home before he could discover how rowdy the event had truly been in a room full of priceless artifacts. It was important to keep a good relationship with the Tormoul family, as they would need to present their evidence against the Argyle and Cattleya Families to the Consul Laevus.

    As soon as they entered the quiet streets of the high borough outside of the estate, Ainsworth and Dietrich removed their clergymen attire and placed it in a satchel that Dietrich had brought with him. Underneath, they were wearing fanciful outfits- three-piece suits with fine stitched lining, silken ties and buttoned-up shirts as white as clouds.

    This was the second step in the plan to infiltrate the Cattleya Family¡¯s Printing Company. It was imperative that they blend in as well as they could. Of course, in such a place, this meant being as gaudy as they could afford. Due to the decay of Heaven¡¯s Roses as an organisation, the funding they had been able to receive from the Church had dwindled. Due to that, the funding that allowed them to purchase such clothes was borrowed in a loan from the Church itself; it would have to be re-payed back in full.

    Their plan was entirely dependent on what they were able to accomplish from this point forward. While the supernatural matter that had been assigned to them in place of Saint Selaphiel had gotten them into the high borough, their main task at hand was now finding a suitable cover for the infiltration of the Printing Company.

    Of course, it wasn¡¯t just that they were dealing with the Cattleya Family. They were likely going to have to go up against the Lord of Ried. That man was rumoured to be behind the movements of the Peacekeepers. If that was really the case, then the corruption might have spread far deeper than they had first assumed. Either that, or Allenette Cattleya was deftly manipulating such a powerful party with sheer cunning. That is¡­ if he even remained ¡®Allenette Cattleya¡¯ anymore.

    Ainsworth glanced over towards Dietrich, raising a hand to block the glaring sun from his eyes. Out in the High Borough, free from the clouds, all that was left was sun and blue sky. It was strange, almost endearing.

    Now that Ainsworth was looking at him in such a bright light free from dreary clouds and rain, Dietrich looked¡­ far different. Once he was able to get a true look at him, he looked quite old, a bit haggard, but also a bit more stoic in comparison to his usually-gruff attitude. Ainsworth had first assumed that his aversion to working with a team was because he was still a hot-headed young man, but that might have been far from the truth in reality.

    He had never really thought about it until that point, but unlike him, who had been groomed by an Archangel for a high position, someone like Dietrich had made it to the height of the Blue Roses by trial of time and expense of effort. This man was likely far older than Ainsworth was, perhaps in his mid-thirties or even nearing his early fourties.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

    He had fine, numerous wrinkles beside his eyelids, and lines on his cheeks that suggested he had smiled so much and could no longer. Shouldn¡¯t a man of his age be a bit more accomplished? Of course, that wasn¡¯t to say that he was a failure of a person; it wasn¡¯t a critique. Rather, just an observation. Someone a bit older than him would be present in the upper echelons of the clergy. Even Ainsworth¡¯s Red Rose peers were about the same age as Dietrich. So why was he still a Blue Rose?

    ¡°Why haven¡¯t you ascended, Mr. Reiche?¡±

    Dietrich glanced over towards Ainsworth, finally noticing his staring, before sighing.

    ¡°You know that the Labyrinth becomes inconsequentially harder the higher you go, right?¡±

    Ainsworth nodded his head. Of course, this was something he had been told over and over. The dangers within the Labyrinth would become far more apparent or aggressive, whether it was monsters or mental hazards, it was certainly true that the strongest faced the most.

    ¡°I tried to ascend, once. I journeyed to the depths of the labyrinth¡­ but it just wasn¡¯t enough. You can¡¯t just try, I¡¯m sure you¡¯re quite aware of it yourself. The older you get¡­ the harder it becomes. Although, I suppose that should be obvious. Unless you manage to cross that Ascendance Boundary like Mr. Selaphiel, you might not live much longer than any normal person¡­ for me, I think that time has passed. I will forever stay a ¡®magician¡¯. The upper brass aren¡¯t quite willing to give an older man like me another chance. I simply took too long out of apprehension.¡±

    ¡®Ah, a sixth-ascended, a Magician. I recently just became a seventh-ascended, a Sorcerer. Is it really that hard to get through the Ascendance Boundary? Because of recent events, I¡¯ve pushed myself to work hard towards it and get through the Labyrinth, but at the same time, maybe I¡¯ve been allowed into the Labyrinth so often as a special privilege from Mr. Selaphiel! I see, so the reason it takes so much time to ascend, just like in Mr. Reiche¡¯s case, is because of time itself! He took too long, and so they won¡¯t risk his life, when he is perfectly good at the top of the Blue Roses. It¡¯s quite sad.¡¯

    ¡°Why haven¡¯t you sought a higher rank in the clergy, then?¡± Dietrich replied casually. His gruff demeanor had vanished, at least when speaking towards Ainsworth. Initially, it was just his apprehension to treat such a young man with respect, but he had overcome it to an extent. At least, he could speak to Ainsworth somewhat genially. ¡°Red Rose, yet still a Priest, isn¡¯t it a little too far out of the ordinary, even for a student of an Archangel?¡±

    ¡°Well, recently, too many events have happened. I couldn¡¯t even consider applying for a rise in rank. Not to mention the studies that come along with it¡­ even though I¡¯ve been able to ascend Heaven¡¯s Roses so quickly, becoming such a prominent figure in the Church wouldn¡¯t be so easy. It¡¯s better left where I am for now. I can always try later, as long as I don¡¯t die in this endeavour. Since we¡¯ve only been facing Nameless recently, it didn¡¯t seem important.¡±

    Dietrich stopped in his tracks, raising a hand to halt Ainsworth as well.

    Soon, they had arrived at the Cattleya Family¡¯s Printing Company building, not too far from their main estate in the high borough. It was time to find a way inside. Ainsworth grimaced, feeling as if anxiety had begun to overtake his heart. After all, they were likely walking into the hive of the enemy.

    ¡®If we get caught, not even our capacity as Heaven¡¯s Roses could save us from the Peacekeepers¡­¡¯

 Chapter 116: Demonic Clowns

    Lumi¨¨re dashed rapidly through the dark, damp carnival tent halls with an expression etched with anxiety and craziness.

    ¡®Fuck, I can¡¯t believe I messed up this badly!¡¯

    Numerous red-glowing eyes lurched forward from the darkness that enveloped him, causing Lumi¨¨re to have to tilt his head to avoid their strikes. On his heels, the malnourished, withered forms of the clowns grasped at him with elongated arms, their starkly-colourful painted faces shrieking and howling. He jumped over fallen pillars and ducked underneath overhangs, but no matter how long he ran through the hall, it seemed never-ending. There must be a condition he had to clear!

    The problem was, unlike the last time he had been in the Sinner¡¯s Labyrinth, he had no time to check Poe¡¯s Gnosis for the necessary information! It glowed a bright-silver within his jacket, its anxious heartbeat pulsing alongside his, but Lumi¨¨re couldn¡¯t give it respite with the demonic clowns chasing after him.

    ¡®How long have I been running? One or two hours? It feels like it¡¯s been far more!¡¯

    He had been trying desperately to maintain his sanity as he outran the danger of the clowns in the darkness. ¡®Lain¡¯s¡¯ ¡®Judgment¡¯, his lucid consciousness, had gradually been seeping into Lumi¨¨re¡¯s mind from its respite in the abyss, and his illusory appearance had started to affix to Lumi¨¨re, as if invading him. Half of his hair had turned a dark-black colour, and one of his eyes a paler blue.

    Of course, this wasn¡¯t a purposeful invasion. It was his own consciousness attempting to overlay Lain¡¯s personality to try and avoid the accumulated madness that had applied itself to Lumi¨¨re. Of course, as he was desperately trying to fight against ¡®Lain¡¯ surfacing, this left his thoughts in turmoil.

    ¡®Go back, bastard! You¡¯ll just get me killed!¡¯

    Lumi¨¨re grinned, ¡®Lain¡¯ speaking through his lips. ¡°Aren¡¯t you too crazy to fight right now? Will you keep running until you run out of stamina? Or will you ask that crow-man for help? All you have to do is say his name¡­¡± Lain was a bit teasing in tone, as if he couldn¡¯t care less if they died. After all, this personae was originally a ¡®character¡¯ from a novel who only ever wanted to seek thrills.

    He snapped his fingers, a small silver wisp flickering in the palm of his hand. His eyes widened, grimacing.

    ¡®Damn it! My whole body aches¡­ I don¡¯t even have enough stamina to conjure a flame!¡¯

    ¡°Just use me¡­¡± Lain kept chiding.

    Lumi¨¨re shook his head, scowling. ¡®I can¡¯t use Lain, it¡¯s too risky. Ophelia isn¡¯t complete yet, so I can¡¯t use his ¡®judgment¡¯ to replace my consciousness! I can¡¯t use Despair, I¡¯ll use all of the accumulated fear I¡¯ve painstakingly collected! Then again, if I die now, it won¡¯t really matter¡­¡¯

    Just then, Lumi¨¨re hit a wall. Quite literally. He ran face-first into hard, cold stone. Blood began to drip down towards his chin from his nose, and he toppled over onto the ground. The malformed clowns that had been chasing him stopped a few feet away, simply staring at him. Then, one by one, bright crimson flames erupted around him, illuminating the hall of darkness. Massive black stone spires stretched up towards the tent roof, and marble spires with intricate engravings outstretching diagonally from the floor, as if attempting to spear the roof from above. It was a mixture of ruinous architecture and classically entertaining spaces.

    Such should be standard for a liminal, terrifyingly strange Labyrinth. He stared at the wall ahead, knowing the demonic clowns were closing in behind him. It was a matter of seconds before he would be killed. But that feeling of imminent death allowed him to shine through all the madness in his mind. He felt almost perfectly clear in what it was he should do, both Lain and Lumi¨¨re alike.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    ¡°Perform for them!¡± Lain shouted, grinning. He had partially overtaken Lumi¨¨re already, although the latter retained most of the control over his own body. Still, he had been relegated to communicating through his own thoughts.

    ¡®Perform for the monsters? Are you stupid?¡¯

    ¡°Come on! Look at them! They¡¯re eagerly awaiting you!¡±

    He stood atop a stage, a backdrop painted with his own blood behind him.

    Lumi¨¨re twirled around to face the clowns, placing a hand on the Lain-half of his face as silver flames dripped down from it like liquid. He grinned, remaining eye filled with madness as he spoke. ¡°This is just too crazy.¡±

    He bowed slightly to the clowns, following Lain¡¯s suggestion as he spoke further. ¡°Watch me, you fools. I¡¯ll kill you all.¡±

    Cold black tears had begun dripping down his cheeks, and countless emotions rushed through his head. There was an innate urge to tear himself apart, to cry, scream, yell, smile, anguish, and despair. Lain¡¯s attitude made him carefree and willing to confront the danger, and his own consciousness was eager to formulate a plan to get himself out of the situation. Perhaps in such a situation, this was the most optimal state!

    ¡°You forget, I¡¯m not a fledgling anymore.¡± Lumi¨¨re pulled Cerces out from his jacket holster in an instant, pointing it at the closest demonic clown. ¡°I¡¯ve left the nest!¡±

    A bullet tore through the neck of the clown, sending blood and muscle tissue flying through the air. At the same time, Lumi¨¨re grabbed hold of the withered patches of hair atop the clowns head, kicking at its chest as he leaned backwards, tearing the head clean away from the remaining sinew. At the same time, the torso of the demonic clown crashed into the creatures behind it, causing the approaching waves of enemies to stumble for just a moment.

    Taking this time as a prime opportunity, Lumi¨¨re heaved the disembodied clown head over his shoulder, sending it flying high into the air. It collided with one of the black stone spires high above, smearing crimson blood across its surface. At the same time, the clowns had recuperated, and remained inches away from Lumi¨¨re as they lurched towards him.

    One demonic clown grasped at his face with its spindly, elongated fingers. But at that moment, he grinned, falling backwards towards the ground. His body made contact with the puddle of blood underneath him that had been spilled when he had torn the head off of the clown. He fell through it, as if it were illusory, causing the demon clowns to crash against the stone floor in chase of him.

    Then, Lumi¨¨re suddenly reappeared high above, the strength of his fingers ebbing as he held onto the craggy surface of the black stone spire. He looked down at the demonic clowns, who glanced back and forth as they began to search for the disappeared magician. He stifled a laugh, looking at the fools with fire in his eyes.

    This was blood teleportation, one of the abilities Lumi¨¨re had obtained by gaining the Two of Spades card, becoming an ¡®initiate¡¯, a second-arisen. It allowed him to travel a short distance, around fifty meters, by falling into a puddle of blood. Unfortunately, this meant the prerequisite depended on Lumi¨¨re losing a lot of blood, or taking the life of another person. Each put him into a dangerous situation each time, but allowed him to get out of a dangerous situation at the same time.

    Besides that, he had also gained access to ¡®mirror storage¡¯. He could now store several items in an alternate space by using a mirror or clear reflection, about the size of a small drawer.

    ¡®Blood Vision¡¯, another ability he had gained, would allow him to vaguely grasp the event that caused blood to spill. While this also only applied to dangerous situations, he deemed it might help in his investigations at a later date. It wasn¡¯t an ability to be dismissed.

    ¡®Godly Mimicry¡¯ allowed him to take on the traits of a Deity to a minor extent, as embodied by their ¡®Will¡¯ or ¡®Descriptions¡¯. Of course, this was another form of blasphemy, so it would simultaneously strengthen him, and also cause him to encounter extreme madness and threaten his mental state.

    ¡®Mirage Walk¡¯ would allow him to move silent and unheard, and ¡®Phantasmal Theater¡¯ was a modified and grander version of his ¡®illusion¡¯.

    However, the crux of Lumi¨¨re¡¯s plan was dependent on the final ability he had gained, ¡®Ephemeral Puppetry¡¯.

    The magician suddenly appeared behind the demonic clowns, causing them to frenzy as they rushed towards him. However, just at that moment, he started running in the opposite direction, leading them away from the stage.

    In the meanwhile, Lumi¨¨re glanced at this event from above, trying desperately not to burst out laughing. In combination with his newfound ¡®Phantasmal Theater¡¯, Lumi¨¨re could now ¡®animate¡¯ his illusions. This meant that he could create a figure of himself that wasn¡¯t bound to an already-animate person and cause it to act. In this way, the demonic clowns were now chasing a version of himself that simply didn¡¯t exist!

    Now, it was time to act on his plan.

    As he had promised, all the demonic clowns would die.

 Chapter 117: Demon of the Garden

    Lumi¨¨re commanded the mirage to run to the edge of its range, around one-hundred meters away, drawing all of the remaining demonic clowns to the edge of the carnival hall.  At the same time, he tried to ascertain the current situation. He hadn¡¯t been able to leave the first Zone for several hours. In comparison to the previous visit, he was starting to get anxious that he would be in here longer than he first anticipated.

    After all, he had forgotten that it was possible he would be transported to the Labyrinth so quickly. He had only meant to enter the Private Room in the House of Cards to recuperate his mental state. Appearing in the Labyrinth was a dire situation already, but now he had to focus himself on gaging all possible information, recovering stamina, and clearing up his mind.

    He climbed up the black stone spire with the last inkling of his strength, falling into a limp mess atop its flat crown. He heaved outwards, trying desperately to suck in a breath. For a few minutes, he simply rested, until he was able to calm himself and focus on his mind. His thoughts were in chaos, and only in the moment where he thought he would die did he find clarity. Now that he was out of such a dangerous situation, the onset of madness had returned in full force.

    Lumi¨¨re closed his eyes, calming his breathing as he focused on the darkness in the recesses of his mind, falling fully into its depths as he appeared in the abyss where his personae and the ancient stone ruin rested. It still had the same strange glimmering runes on its surface.

    Lumi¨¨re looked towards the black-haired and dull-eyed man sitting up against the wall, frowning as he approached. Lain slowly stood up, facing Lumi¨¨re as he held his hands up.

    ¡°Who knew you were so capable?¡± Lain chided, watching as Lumi¨¨re grew ever closer.

    The latter didn¡¯t respond. Instead, he raised his fist, lurching towards Lain before making contact with the side of his face, causing his head to crack against the stone wall. The other personae, Ophelia and Despair, watched this event calmly, the former a bit amused.

    Lain let out a loud, pained groan, glancing up towards Lumi¨¨re with a semblance of violence in his eyes. ¡°What the fuck are you doing?¡±

    ¡°I know it¡¯s not your choice to encroach on my consciousness, but I can¡¯t afford it right now.¡± Lumi¨¨re responded casually, grabbing hold of Lain¡¯s collar as he punched downwards once more, catching the crazy persona in the jaw. Lain dropped to the pitch-black ground below, his eyes shaking as Lumi¨¨re knelt down, continuing to lay his fist down on his face, blood and saliva spilling out until the man was conscious no more.

    Lumi¨¨re stood up, Lain¡¯s blood dripping from his hand. He glanced at the unconscious man, and then at Ophelia and Despair, who sat in silence with grins on their faces, before nodding his head and disappearing back through the darkness of the Abyss.

    His eyes opened to the cold, shadowy carnival hall, letting out a deep sigh as he placed a hand against his face. This time, it truly felt like his own. While madness still crept towards the center of his mind from its outskirts, he had bought himself a bit of time to try and exit the Sinner¡¯s Labyrinth. As his hand fell away from his eyes, silver flames erupting against his skin as his facial features warped, his hair turned a bright cloud-white, and his eyes adopting a stark violet hue.

    ¡®If I have to allow another ¡®judgment¡¯ of a persona to take over after I exit the labyrinth, I can¡¯t let it be Lain. He gets me into too much trouble. Right now, I¡¯ll cultivate the story of ¡®Ophelia¡¯ and turn him into a fully-fledged personality! Then, I¡¯ll let ¡®Ophelia¡¯ take over for a few days while I recover from this madness.¡¯ Hopefully the Demon of the Garden won¡¯t get me into too much trouble in the meanwhile¡­¡¯If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    With a plan set before him, all that was left was to acquire information and recover his energy. Lumi¨¨re pulled the familiar ancient black leather-bound book out of his jacket, Poe¡¯s Gnosis, navigating to the silvery-glowing page in the middle before laying his eyes on the writhing black ink that sprawled itself slowly across the paper.

    ¡ª [Zone, Beta-3.77]

    ¡ª [Class 5 Danger]

    ¡ª [Entity Count: Medium]

    ¡ª [Notable Hazards: The poison in the air will slowly infest your lungs and kill you. Recommended that you spend no longer than two hours and thirty minutes in this Zone.]

    Lumi¨¨re¡¯s eyes widened as he read this line. ¡®Two hours and thirty minutes!? I¡¯ve already spent two hours and ten minutes in this place!¡¯

    Suddenly, he realised why he had felt so weak the longer he had spent in the Carnival Hall. It wasn¡¯t just that he had been running- it was abnormal that he, someone who had spent many years engaging in rigorous movement exercises all day for the sake of training his blade, would be tired out so easily! Of course, he should feel his strength waning, but to this extent? He felt as if he couldn¡¯t move a single muscle in his legs!

    ¡®Ha, maybe it would have been better if I died in the Phantom¡¯s attack. Dealing with this much requires too much effort. How did Ainsworth manage to get through trials like these so many times¡­ no, perhaps the Labyrinths are different for others. But if he really went through something like this each time¡­ ah, I was wrong to demean him at times¡­ he¡¯s certainly stronger than I am.¡¯

    ¡®Is there really a way out of this? If I use ¡®Blaspheming¡¯ or ¡®Godly Mimicry¡¯, I might be able to regain enough strength to use my Silver Flames, and I might be able to take out the demonic clowns, but then I¡¯ll definitely succumb to this creeping madness. Same thing with creating an illusion to make them kill each other- I just don¡¯t have the strength. I used the last of my energy to teleport through the clown¡¯s blood puddle and climb my way up here. I hoped I would have time to recover naturally, but it seems that¡¯s just not an option¡­¡¯

    Lumi¨¨re sighed heavily, letting out a feeble laugh. ¡®If I think like this, I¡¯ll ruin Ophelia as a persona. Shouldn¡¯t I try and think like a Demon would?¡¯

    ¡°I am Ophelia, born of the Demonic Realm. Betrayed by all others, this life of lies is all that awaits me. I must make my own fate. I must move forward. I must let the garden flourish, let these fables be spread. I must remove the Phantoms, yet become as they are.¡± This was almost like when Lumi¨¨re had played the ¡®story game¡¯ with Selaphiel and Orion, although to a more self-serving extent. It was so easy when it had come to ¡°Despair¡¯ and ¡®Lain¡¯. While Despair had an ancient background that Lumi¨¨re did not know, he had embodied and absorbed that personality from the moment he had accepted the contract, so it remained full-fledged. Besides that, ¡®Lain¡¯ had been torn from a storybook Lumi¨¨re had read so many times before- it was a character someone else had already invented, and so it was easy to align with its personality.

    This was the story that Lumi¨¨re had forged so far, but what kind of person was Ophelia exactly? They seemed calm, calculated, but also motivated and powerful. They exuded a lofty persona, that they were fond of making deals but that many things remained beneath them.

    While Lumi¨¨re Croft preferred savoury foods, the Demon of the Garden enjoyed sweeter things. When Lumi¨¨re would enjoy hot treats in the winter, Ophelia sought out something even colder than the frost itself. Lumi¨¨re didn¡¯t enjoy the company of others for the most part, but had his heart open for loving others, while Ophelia enjoyed being a part of a larger group, but was ambivalent towards romance.

    Both Lumi¨¨re and Ophelia were cold and calculating, but while the former realised his insignificance and sought to compensate for it, the latter knew his strength and sought to exploit it at every turn. Of course, Lumi¨¨re was not truly powerful like a Demon, and so until he was, he could not fully embody the persona of Ophelia, but he could very much so deepen its realism.

    He was quiet and collected, and wouldn¡¯t get himself into trouble like Lain would. At least, not the sort of trouble that might implicate him in the future. This was the perfect development, the perfect persona. It was someone that Lumi¨¨re thought he could truly rely on, as long as he couldn¡¯t rely on himself. If he had to fall into unconsciousness to dissipate the madness in his mind in the future, this new understanding of ¡®Ophelia¡¯ would serve him well.

    His facial expressions relaxed slightly, his eyes filling with a slow-burning silver flame that wouldn¡¯t extinguish. He grinned, glancing up at the carnival hall ceiling.

    He spoke in a deep reverberating tone. ¡°I¡¯ll perform for you all. I¡¯ll kill you all. I¡¯ll survive this.¡±

    ¡®Ophelia, Demon of the Garden¡¯ was born.

 Chapter 118: Black Shore

    Lumi¨¨re retreated back into the mental abyss. In this place, he lost the aesthetic of Ophelia, as his ¡®persona¡¯, his ¡®truth¡¯, was what resided here. He glanced over at the personae of Ophelia and Despair, as well as the crazy Lain who still lay unconscious next to the ancient rune-strewn stone wall. He walked over to this man, frowning.

    ¡°Wake up, asshole.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re kicked at Lain¡¯s unconscious body. The black-haired man shuddered awake, glancing up at Lumi¨¨re with a worried expression. He pushed himself back against the ancient stone wall with his hands, scowling before saying, ¡°did you really need to do all that?¡±

    Lumi¨¨re nodded, crouching down as he placed his hands on Lain¡¯s shoulders.

    ¡°You were interfering with my thought processes, so it was necessary. I¡¯ve had time to think, that¡¯s all I needed. You can have my body now. I need you to blaspheme¡­ well, anyone really.¡±

    Lain¡¯s eyebrows furrowed, a little disgusted. ¡°You want me to go crazy? Don¡¯t you yourself know how bad it feels to go through that? Why would you volunteer me for it? Give the task to one of these other guys¡­¡±

    Lumi¨¨re looked him plainly in the eyes, calmly adding, ¡°if you don¡¯t do it, this time I will kill you. I¡¯ll replace you with someone who listens better.¡±

    He stood up, chuckling. ¡°You¡¯re not a necessity, you¡¯re just who happens to be here. That can always change, never forget that.¡±

    Lain glanced up at Lumi¨¨re, his face still bloodied and bruised, wiping the blood from his lip as he spoke in a deep, sullen tone.

    ¡°Perhaps you¡¯re the crazy one.¡±

    Lumi¨¨re reflected for a moment, pulling the Two of Spades card out of his pocket before grinning.

    ¡°It¡¯s in my nature.¡±

    ¡ª

    When Lumi¨¨re appeared back in the Carnival Hall, his features temporarily took the appearance of Lain, with short black hair and a dark gaze. He temporarily fell into an unconscious state, Lain¡¯s ¡®judgment¡¯ having taken over his body completely, just as he had when he had fallen to madness amidst his mother¡¯s grave.

    Lain reached into his jacket, rife with Lumi¨¨re¡¯s recent memories, and procured a Crown of Thorns necklace he had kept as a replacement for the last time he had used Blaspheming.

    ¡°¡®Blaspheming¡¯ or ¡®Godly Mimicry¡¯?¡± Lain smirked as he raised the necklace. ¡°What to do¡­?¡±

    Lain snapped the necklace between his fingers, shattering it instantly. Strength rushed through his body, enhancing him temporarily, and causing black blood to pour from his eyelids down towards his chin. He grasped at his face, grinning madly as he felt endless and countless thoughts pour into his mind, strange illusory murmurs shouting endless profanities and declarations of ill will towards him, as if his brain were trying to destroy itself, unconsciously using the illusory murmurs to do so.

    If madness were a virus, then the body would treat it as such, even if it were bound to one¡¯s brain. In the end, death was a cure to pain.

    Lain recoiled, curling up into a ball on the cold surface of the black stone spire¡¯s peak, grasping at his hair as if to pull it out.

    ¡°Fuck¡­ why is it always me¡­?¡±

    Moments after, his hair turned a bright-white colour, his eyes a violet hue, and his gaze grew soft, calm, and contemplative.

    ¡®Ophelia¡¯ re-emerged from the mind abyss.

    Of course, because the persona of ¡®Ophelia¡¯ wasn¡¯t yet finished, the true consciousness behind it was Lumi¨¨re playing the part. That much couldn¡¯t be helped. Until he learned to act the part perfectly, the consciousness wouldn¡¯t form like it had for Lain. Attempts to let Ophelia¡¯s consciousness take over his body had failed, so all he could assume was that the figure that stood in his mind abyss was equivalent to a hollow doll, a mindless form. It carried itself calmly and loftily, but that was just like a fancy suit without someone to wear it.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

    He felt the strength coursing through his body, free of the cost of madness because of Lain¡¯s work. He chuckled wryly as he considered that point- the personality of a crazed murderer being beaten into submission. It was laughable.

    Of course, he didn¡¯t worry as to whether or not laughing at other¡¯s misfortune would be antithetical to Ophelia- that was truly the personality of a Demon.

    ¡®I have, perhaps, fifteen minutes left to escape this danger. How reasonable.¡¯

    Lumi¨¨re stood up atop the black stone spire, glancing down into the distance where his mirage was still running in circles, guiding the small horde of Demonic Clowns behind them.

    ¡®This is the exuberance of a Demon.¡¯

    He began to guide his mirage towards the black stone spire, reaching into his jacket to procure a satchel filled with a mixture of ingredients- saltpeter and soot. This was the mixture he had used during his final performance to create a veritable explosion, cloaking his use of silver flames and landing safely amidst the audience. He stuck his hand into the satchel, brushing it against the powdered mixture before putting it back into his pocket, walking towards the edge of the black stone spire and falling forward off of its surface.

    Lumi¨¨re hurtled towards the ground at high speeds, raising his hand towards the approaching horde as he smirked and whispered, ¡°Ignici¨®n.¡±. The mixture in the palm of his hands grew alight with blinding silver flame, a massive eruption of crimson flames and smoke bursting across the cold floor of the Carnival Hall. Torrents of wind blew outwards, and the Demonic Clowns caught up in the flames cried out in a shrieking manner, a cacophony of pain and regret ringing out into the vast Hall.

    Lumi¨¨re emerged from the smoke, adjusting the glove on his hand as he glanced around. Bits and pieces of the Demonic Clowns sat around him in heaps, smoking and letting off a putrid, horrid scent. He coughed slightly, raising a hand to his mouth to see that blood had collected at the edge of his lips.

    Pain suddenly erupted through his body, his strength given by Blaspheming having faltered. The poison coursing through his body had begun to take effect!

    ¡°This¡­¡± Lumi¨¨re sputtered as he frowned, ¡°is truly unbefitting of a Demon¡­¡±

    As he collapsed to the ground, the floor suddenly shifted underneath him. Lumi¨¨re fell upwards, and soon he sat in a pool of pearl sand, gazing out at a vast black sea. The sandy beach was surrounded by a backdrop of large trees, and bushes that could have concealed any number of dangers. Dozens of grey stones littered the shoreline, perhaps brought in by the waves.

    The craggy rocks were blanketed by the crashing of violent waves, and the abyss-like night sky was devoid of any stars. Still, there was a calm peace that rivaled the Carnival Hall. It was silent, but not eerily so.

    Lumi¨¨re sucked in a heavy breath, coughing as the poison gradually dissipated. Poe¡¯s Gnosis had begun to glow a familiar faint silver colour, its heartbeat pulsating erratically. Still, he could pain no mind to this. He felt exhausted once more, and he had only done so much since forcing Lain to blaspheme in his place.

    ¡®What a waste of an opportunity. If it weren¡¯t for the poison, I could have done much more¡­ no, perhaps I wouldn¡¯t have blasphemed if the poison weren¡¯t present in the Carnival Hall¡­¡¯

    He crawled slowly to the edge of the sandy shore, placing his hand in the cold, lapping water of the black sea. As it washed over his hand, Lumi¨¨re felt sated, as if his energy was gradually becoming restored simply by touching it. The corners of his lips quivered, and he was urged to crawl closer, placing his mouth against the sand as the sea poured into the depths of his mouth.

    The water wasn¡¯t salty as he had anticipated, rather somewhat sweet, and while he hadn¡¯t felt too thirsty prior to drinking it, it seemed to refresh him as if he had been suffering from dehydration. His body pulsed, revitalised, and he felt warm and calm in its presence.

    As he caught his breath and sat back in the sand, propping himself up with his hand, Lumi¨¨re flitted his gaze around, taking in his surroundings. When he considered the moment safe, albeit without true certainty, he risked taking a look at Poe¡¯s Gnosis. After all, the most valuable information he could gleam came from within.

    He scrolled through the pages of Poe¡¯s Gnosis until he came to the silvery-glowing page, frowning as he observed its key information on the Zone.

    ¡ª [Zone, Beta-5]

    ¡ª [Class 8 Danger]

    ¡ª [Entity Count: Null]

    ¡ª [Notable Hazards: The water has many peculiarities surrounding it. The shore itself is rife with edible hanging fruits, but all of the plants littering the ground are poisonous and should not be consumed. At night, a wave of strange phenomena will rush over the shore. Anyone caught within the wave will suffer strange occurrences. These occurrences may happen now, or in the future, and will follow one caught in the wave outside of the labyrinth. The wave of phenomena can be easily avoided by ducking into a cavern.]

    Lumi¨¨re¡¯s eyes shuddered as he glanced at the final few lines of the Zone description. Wasn¡¯t it night now? However, no matter which direction he looked, he couldn¡¯t spot anything but flora and lines of tall trees with spiked branches.

    On the lone shore, Lumi¨¨re let out a relieved sigh.

    ¡®I should find a cavern, as Poe¡¯s Gnosis suggested. But¡­ now I can take the time to truly rest and recover¡­ it seems that the higher the ¡°Class Danger¡¯ score is, the safer it is. An eight would be quite safe, and a one must be extremely dangerous¡­ considering that the Carnival Hall was rated a ¡®five¡¯¡­¡¯

    ¡®¡­just how dangerous can this Labyrinth be¡­?¡¯

    As Lumi¨¨re stood up to walk away from the shore, he glanced back at the black waters that crashed against the craggy rocks, frowning.

    ¡°Perhaps I¡¯ll stay just a bit longer.¡±

 Chapter 119: False Water

    For a few hours, Lumi¨¨re sat by the shore, still wearing Ophelia¡¯s regal aesthetic over himself. He watched the pitch-black waves of the dark sea lap against the pearl sand, contemplative and rested. He was almost in awe of such a place, that it could exist in such a dangerous, twisted environment. Was this meant to be a safe haven from the perils of the other Zones?

    So then, it must be the case that there was the possibility of more such ¡®safe zones¡¯. Perhaps Lumi¨¨re didn¡¯t have to worry too much in the future.

    Or¡­ rather, he didn¡¯t have to worry at all. It was quite safe here, and he supposed there was an abundance of food, at least as far as Poe¡¯s Gnosis had said. Couldn¡¯t he stay for just a bit longer? The ocean was far too beautiful to tear his eyes away from.

    It was in Ophelia¡¯s nature to be contemplative, so there was no harm in sitting idly. Those were just the whims of a Demon.

    He smiled softly as he looked out at the black sea. He had been through far too much recently. Ever since he had enacted his performance, it seemed like things had begun to ramp up as pertained to the Phantom Syndicate and the Nameless. Of course, this was something he had likely set into motion himself. Whether or not they had been acting without care of his provocation, he had certainly forced Heaven¡¯s Roses, and by proxy himself, to start delving deeper into the matter.

    Suddenly, in the silence amidst the waves, he heard the chirp of a cricket. He glanced back towards the forest beyond the shore, his eyebrows raising.

    ¡®I thought there were no ¡®entities¡¯ in this Zone. Does the ¡®Entity Count¡¯ only include monsters?¡¯

    Then, more crickets chirped. Another, and then another, all echoing out into the air like a symphony. Composed, calm, tranquil. One of these chirps resounded right beside him. Lumi¨¨re glanced downwards to realise that a cricket had settled in the open palm of his hand.

    Static flashed across his vision, the sound shivering and roaring as if massive gusts of wind were booming around him. A massive wave of blurriness and dread hit him all at once, making his vision spin and his ears deafen. It was intense, it was terrifying! He couldn¡¯t bear to keep up the act of ¡®Ophelia¡¯. After all, this was really a threat! How could he not?

    ¡®The strange wave of phenomena! I completely forgot about it! Why did it slip my mind? Am I exhausted still!? I completely forwent finding a cavern to hide in! Not only that, I didn¡¯t even leave the shoreline!¡¯

    Then, the world went dark.

    The massive black waves rushed forward, engulfing the pearl shore in shadow. Lumi¨¨re was swept up into its waters, falling backwards along with the tide into the torrential sea. He unconsciously sucked in a deep breath, the cold water flooding over his tastebuds, strangling his inhalations until he couldn¡¯t stand its presence.

    ¡®Fuck! How could I have been so foolish! ¡®

    This time, when Lumi¨¨re ingested the seawater, it began to twist, turning foul and bitter. Instead of peace and calm, he felt exhausted and anxious.

    In the dark abyss of the sea, massive writhing tentacles suddenly lurched forward from its depths, grasping at the tips of his feet, yet unable to reach completely. He kicked away from them, his body twisting and turning in the churning tides. He heard the echoing roars of a beast, a creature incomprehensible, and his heart seized up with true fear. He could feel ¡®Despair¡¯ resonate within him. It was to a terrible extent!

    This was an unfortunate turn of events! He was caught up in the Sinner¡¯s Labyrinth without a blade! Because his sword from the Fencer¡¯s Association had been broken during the fight against Mammon and the Nameless in the Eighteenth floor of Etten-Leur, and he had only just arranged for the making of his blade by Juno, he was unfit to fight such a beast, even if he had the strength necessary to do so! The bullets fired from Cerces likely wouldn¡¯t work if he was underwater. If only he could augment the weapon with starlight, like an Astrologer, or equip alternate runes to it, like an Alchemist!Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡®What can I do!? I can¡¯t just stab at it!¡¯

    As a tentacle lashed out at him from the murky abyss, Lumi¨¨re grinned.

    ¡®No, I¡¯m not Lumi¨¨re right now!¡¯

    The proof of that, his long cloud-white hair, waved about underneath the rushing water. His violet eyes stared down the sharp inky tentacle as he reached out his arms. It slapped against his chest, forcing the remaining strength out of his lungs. Still, he clasped tight to the slippery tendril, its suckers clinging to his flesh, beginning to tear his skin away from his flesh.

    ¡®You bastard, I don¡¯t need a blade!¡¯

    Pressure began to fill his head, the lack of oxygen eating away his psyche. Still, he had succeeded in the first condition of his survival! He would definitely make it!

    He opened his mouth wide, seawater swirling against his tongue as he bit down on the tip of the tentacle, tearing away at its flesh. The tentacle thrashed madly as he did so, but it didn¡¯t matter. It had already latched onto him with its suckers! Lumi¨¨re continued to bite deeper into its flesh, gnawing away gradually until nothing but tendons remained. A few seconds later, the tentacle¡¯s tip was severed, releasing Lumi¨¨re from its grasp, a cloud of crimson erupting into the water around him. Not only was Lumi¨¨re now cloaked from the view of whatever resided in the depths, but the second condition of his escape had been completed!

    Lumi¨¨re reached his hands out, handing away the tip of the tentacle. It was grasped away from him, and he immediately burst forward out of the crimson cloud, drawing away the attention of the underwater creature. He smirked as he faced down the remaining tentacles writhing in the darkness.

    He couldn¡¯t bear it much longer, but it soon wouldn¡¯t matter. As his vision darkened, blackness spreading out from the edges, he awaited the signal.

    His body suddenly shivered. That was it!

    Another tentacle lashed out at Lumi¨¨re, but by then it was too late. He fell backwards into the cloud of blood, his form collapsing into nothingness as he appeared back on the shoreline. Underneath him, blood pooled outward, the tip of the tentacle lying beside him. Lumi¨¨re¡¯s blurry form stared down at him with a blank, unthinking expression. It was a mirage!

    Lumi¨¨re coughed up a mouthful of seawater, struggling to catch his breath as his mind raced.

    He had done it! He had survived the strange wave of phenomena!

    By commanding his mirage to carry the tentacle to the surface, it had spilled out the remaining blood, creating two points- the first being the cloud of blood that had spilled underwater- for Lumi¨¨re to use ¡®Blood Teleportation¡¯ with.

    As soon as he recovered, he immediately dissipated his mirage, climbing away from the shoreline. In the grass, Lumi¨¨re ducked. His body felt weak from repetitive ability use. It seems he hadn¡¯t truly ¡®recovered¡¯ when drinking the black water from the sea.

    Once Lumi¨¨re had abandoned the pearl shore, he was able to look clearly over the sands, he watched as the pitch-black waves receded. Every fiber of his body wished to return to the shore and place his lips upon the lapping waves, but he actively resisted the urge and continued to scan the area for remnant danger.

    Could he have been wrong? Thomas had once before said that Poe¡¯s Gnosis likes to lie, but he didn¡¯t think it would lie about such a danger! What kind of ¡®peculiarity¡¯ was that! That wasn¡¯t a ¡®strange occurrence¡¯, that was an attempt on his life!

    He reached into his pocket, flipping through the countless unmarked pages until he came to the page pertaining to the pearl shore. His eyes widened as he reread the lines, an unconscious shiver erupting through his body.

    ¡ª [Zone, Beta-5]

    ¡ª [Class 4 Danger]

    ¡ª [Entity Count: Moderate]

    ¡ª [Notable Hazards: The Black Water surrounding the island should be avoided at all costs. Consuming it will cause one to experience its hallucinogenic properties, and develop an extreme urge to stay beside it. Many die simply from starvation because they find themselves unable to search for food, only staying and staring at the shoreline. The shore itself is rife with edible hanging fruits, but all of the plants littering the ground are poisonous and should not be consumed. At night, a wave of strange phenomena will rush over the shore. Anyone caught within the wave will suffer strange occurrences, and it must be avoided at all costs, as it will cause the creatures lurking along the shore to converge on one¡¯s location. These occurrences may happen now, or in the future, and will follow one caught in the wave outside of the labyrinth. The wave of phenomena might or might not be avoided by ducking into a cavern.]

    ¡®The water is dangerous!? It falsely cured my exhaustion, and Poe¡¯s Gnosis didn¡¯t say anything about it previously! Not just that, but the danger class was completely wrong!¡¯

    Lumi¨¨re glanced up from the ancient black-leather book, looking out at the shore as the waves receded. Those same grey stones that littered the shoreline stared back at him with hollow, receded eyeholes. They had jagged teeth lining their jaws, and holes where noses should be placed.

    They weren¡¯t rocks! They were skulls!

    ¡®I had no motive to seek shelter, to even eat¡­ is that what killed these people too?¡¯

    ¡®If I hadn¡¯t this urge to survive, to continue forward, would I have ended up succumbing to hunger just like those poor fools¡­?¡¯

 Chapter 120: Madness in submission

    Lumi¨¨re had journeyed far further into the depths of the pearl shore¡¯s forested area, climbing the trees in order to reach the glimmering fruits high above. The first bite was cautionary, the second pleasure, he was far too hungry to bear safety much longer.

    The air was silent once more, as if the wave of phenomena hadn¡¯t happened at all.

    And still yet, he hadn¡¯t found a way out of the pearl shore!

    ¡®What could possibly be the condition of clearing this Zone? I wish this was something that Poe¡¯s Gnosis would tell me. Then again, if I¡¯ve been seeing things this whole time because of the water, then perhaps all that I¡¯ve learned is false. The only thing that I can surmise is truly real is the monster within the black sea. If it weren¡¯t a tangible existence, I probably wouldn¡¯t have been able to use ¡®blood transport¡¯ within its blood. And it¡¯s not too possible that it was all an illusion, my clothes are soaked in its blood still¡­¡¯

    Lumi¨¨re sighed, taking another bite of the fruit.

    It was becoming far too difficult to act as such a lofty figure like Ophelia under duress. Because, after all, such a powerful figure would never find himself under duress, not in such insignificant and paltry conditions. Perhaps ¡®Ophelia¡¯ would kill the sea monster in only a single blow, moving on to the next zone without expending a single movement of his facial muscles.

    But the limit to lies were means. One could lie about their means, their power, wealth, and status, but when it came to enacting those means, if one did not truly have them, then the lie would fall apart.

    He laid back within the grass, staring past the canopy of trees at the blank sky. Of course, he remained wary of monsters, but he had just fought against a gigantic terrifying beast within the sea that he could not even see clearly. The size of those tentacles must mean that the monster was far larger than he could comprehend. What did it want with him? Were there no fish in the black waters for it to consume?

    Lumi¨¨re chuckled as he came to this thought. No, of its size, it must need whales to satiate its hunger.

    He could still feel the craziness of the Two of Spades encroaching on his mind, seeping in from the edges like a cancer he couldn¡¯t uproot, at least not at the moment.

    ¡°I¡¯ll become a monster if I go mad, huh¡­?¡±

    Lumi¨¨re¡¯s eyes suddenly widened, grinning wildly. He closed his eyes, his consciousness escaping into the sea of abyss as he appeared before the three personae sitting before the ancient stone wall. He walked over towards the black-haired Lain who had curled into a ball on the floor, letting out agonising groans as his body took on an illusory hue, fragmenting and splitting apart before reconnecting in an instant, as if it couldn¡¯t decide whether to be corporeal or incorporeal. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

    ¡°Good news, my friend! It¡¯s time for you to join the world of the waking again!¡±

    Lain groaned, rolling over to stare up at Lumi¨¨re. Black blood had dried up against his cheeks, pouring down from his eyelids, which had reddened immensely. From time to time, a pitch-black tendril would erupt from his skin, thrashing wildly before becoming incorporeal and corrupted, fading away as if it hadn¡¯t existed at all.

    ¡°You look like shit!¡± Lumi¨¨re laughed, kicking Lain¡¯s abdomen. The man groaned further.

    ¡°Mother¡­ fucker¡­¡±

    Lumi¨¨re grasped at the back of his collar, raising him up to stare at him face to face.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got a job for you. You¡¯re going to be a good little dog for me, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    When he appeared back in the Labyrinth, he exited the forest in the center of the shore, walking towards the sand. He stomped on one of the skulls lying on the pearl sands, shattering it into a dozen pieces, before grabbing the sharpest edge with a harsh fist, the sharpness cutting into the palm of his hand.

    ¡®Lain, it¡¯s almost your time. Bear this much. That¡¯s all you¡¯re good for.¡¯

    He walked to the edge of the shore, the water lapping at his boots as he smirked. This was the exuberance of Ophelia. He had finally cultivated that point of the personality. He was somewhat like ¡®Lain¡¯, in that his confidence was maddening, but it wasn¡¯t that he was confident because he had the merit and means to back it, it was simply because he was that determined. It didn¡¯t matter if he was a powerful demon, or an ant that had been abandoned by its colony. He had determined himself to reach his goals; it was the motive born from Lumi¨¨re, and it was something he would do at all costs.

    In the end, Lumi¨¨re had always been ¡®just like Ophelia¡¯.

    Lumi¨¨re threw himself backwards into the depths of the black sea, sinking into the darkness of the abyss as he took the shard of bone and placed it against the back of his hand.

    ¡®I realised this when I encountered the former Two of Spades, that heretic in the House of Cards¡­ but this mark on my hand, it isn¡¯t affiliated with the Heretics. That man had a completely different mark on his hand! This damned mark, it¡¯s equivalent to the one found on Poe¡¯s Gnosis¡­ whatever connection the House of Cards has with Lord Sinner, this much is clear! This mark is Lord Sinner¡¯s!¡¯

    Lumi¨¨re dragged the bone shard across the mark, slicing deep into his flesh, interrupting the sigil¡¯s lines. He gazed up at the faltering light of the strange night sky above the waving waters, his gaze fierce and determined. His countenance took on a sharper aesthetic, of black hair and pale blue eyes. It was Lain!

    ¡®Even this is blasphemy!¡¯

    Madness immediately encroached on his mind, his thoughts faltering, one remaining as tentacles burst outwards around him. He did not feel the powerful strength that would surge through him when he blasphemed, that wasn¡¯t its purpose.

    When had he been told so?

    That to become irrecoverably mad¡­ was to also become a horrific monster?

 Chapter 121: Sacrifice

    ¡®Fuck! Fuck! It hurts-¡®

    These weren¡¯t Lumi¨¨re¡¯s thoughts any longer. Lain had emerged, and the madness encroaching on his mind had fully taken over. He had blasphemed twice, there was no avoiding it!

    The pitch-black tentacles swarmed around him, engulfing his pulsating form. Each part of him shifted, as if it couldn¡¯t bear to materialise, and his eyes shuddered crazily. He grimaced, grasping at his face. Even though he sucked in water at a rapid pace, he didn¡¯t feel as if he was drowning. Only the pain that coursed through his entire body was recognised by his mind, agonising, as if he were submerged in flames. Ice-cold pain, fiery pain, aching pain, pulsing pain, cutting, stabbing, gnawing, grinding¡­ he felt the pain of sorrow, of grief, of loss, of despair.

    He felt everything and nothing at once, he was hollow and he was abundant. He saw all of his memories, and forgot all of them. He was of two states, of craziness and normalcy, and that was the most maddening of it all.

    He reached out a hand towards the shimmering light above, towards the surface he could not reach, but his arm was far too short; he was distant from that hope.

    Each of his fingers wavered, sprouting countless malleable spikes, which writhed before dissipating. His hands became corporeal and brilliant, made of light and of all shadows within the water. He glowed and he dimmed, and soon his hands were no longer, his body was no longer, he was no longer.

    Only a monster remained in the water. The tentacles that wrapped around him belonged not to the beast of the sea, it was him.

    He had no more thoughts, he was mindless.

    In the depths of the abyss of his mind, Lain had vanished completely. Lumi¨¨re remained, unconscious, beside Despair and the now-complete Ophelia.

    ¡°He¡¯s a coward. Still, he acts a fool.¡± Despair suddenly spoke, touching upon the cheek of the unconscious figure.

    ¡°I don¡¯t necessarily agree. He was limited in choice, he killed off that man so he could survive.¡± Ophelia replied coldly. This was the first time they had spoken since Lumi¨¨re had formed the Mythos Garden. After all, Despair often had no mind to speak, he was only within the abyss to experience the fear that Lumi¨¨re accumulated.

    And up until that point, Ophelia¡¯s ¡®judgment¡¯ had not been complete. Only in the water a moment prior had Lumi¨¨re formed his motivation, his determination, his will. Indeed, they had been quite alike the entire time.

    ¡°I think sacrifice is done out of fear. He was scared that he would lose all he worked for¡­¡± This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    ¡°But there is also courage in determining it a necessity to sacrifice something important. Indeed, that persona was an important tool for Lumi¨¨re Croft, and he used it as a tool should be.¡±

    ¡°A person as a tool¡­ how hilarious. But this was not the exact summation of ¡®Lain¡¯ from ¡®Secret of the Conductor¡¯. That man was fearless, crazy and impulsive. When it came to the remnant persona left behind in this place, that ¡®Lain¡¯ was a coward. He indeed felt fear, I consumed it myself. When that Lumi¨¨re Croft had intentions to be a crazed, fearless bastard in the House of Cards, it was not the case that he could do so. In the end, Lumi¨¨re stole Lain¡¯s traits for himself, and left that persona with nothing. The true ¡®Lain¡¯ has always been Lumi¨¨re, this persona a hollow shell used for blaspheming. There was never any other use for him.¡±

    ¡°Indeed, it was Lumi¨¨re Croft that has changed.¡± Ophelia agreed wholeheartedly. ¡°Now, that shell is dead.¡±

    Beside them, the ancient stone wall suddenly stirred. The cracks in the wall reformed themselves into the shapes of incomprehensible letters not from this world. At the same time, the red strands connected to Lumi¨¨re¡¯s body from the abyss quivered. In the real world past the Labyrinth, the members of the Mythos Garden that had been contracted to Lumi¨¨re felt a deathly chill rush through their body, causing them to feel faint.

    The stone wall began to crack even more, several pieces of rubble falling from it, landing beside Lumi¨¨re¡¯s head. Ophelia and Despair both glanced towards it, grimacing. Although he had not responded towards Lumi¨¨re¡¯s inquiries after he had nearly gone mad at his mother¡¯s grave, Despair really didn¡¯t know where the ancient stone wall derived itself from.

    After all, the abyss was a representation of Lumi¨¨re¡¯s mental state. There should have been nothing but them and the red strands, the symbolism of the contracts he had made.

    When the two personae glanced back down towards Lumi¨¨re¡¯s body, it had disappeared entirely, vanishing into thin air.

    Did this mean that Lumi¨¨re¡¯s mental state no longer embodied ¡®Lumi¨¨re¡¯?

    Was the strange ancient stone wall reacting to this occurrence, and had it derived itself from his transformation into a monster?

    In the waters of the Labyrinth, the beast of the sea had emerged, shaken by the sudden appearance of the crazed monster, formerly Lumi¨¨re. Tentacles arose from the depths, clashing with those that had formed from Lumi¨¨re¡¯s body. They writhed, wrapping around each other. One tentacle tore away his, creating thick clouds of pitch-black blood within the water. It was a harsh, incomprehensible shade, far darker than the black water itself. It was a representation of pure madness.

    The monster lashed out towards the beast, its cries echoing vaguely through the wavering waters. The tentacle stretched far out into the depths, clawing at the beast that settled under the water. However, unlike what it anticipated, the monster only found sand at the bottom of the sea. It glanced around with a hollow gaze, eyes blossoming from its fleshy exterior.

    There were no tentacles but his.

    Had the beast of the sea fallen?

    This was the point where Lumi¨¨re would have fallen away into the floor.

    However, this time, he was not transported to the next Zone. After all, he was no longer Lumi¨¨re. He was no longer a servant of the Sinner, no longer an inhabitant of the Labyrinth. There was no reason for him to be moved at all.

    In the darkness of the waters, the tentacle-laden monster remained, alone next to the corpses of the fallen.

    Indeed, at the cost of a sacrifice.

 Chapter 122: Choice of Death

    ¡°If Lumi¨¨re Croft is gone, how is this abyss of his own mind still active?¡± Despair murmured, crouching down next to the glowing wall, placing his face feebly atop his knees.

    Ophelia stood, hovering over the man cloaked in black crows as he replied, ¡°there are two reasons that I can think of. The first is that this wall has something to do with it. There were always many peculiarities around it, perhaps it is what is keeping this place stable. The second reason may be because Lumi¨¨re hasn¡¯t truly gone away. If he really has lost his ¡®persona¡¯, and ¡®Lumi¨¨re Croft¡¯ is ¡®dead¡¯, then there must be something left of him keeping this place together.¡±

    Footsteps echoed through the dark corridors of the abyss, drawing the attention of the two towards the space behind the ancient wall.

    ¡°Indeed, these things are true, to an extent.¡±

    There was a man slowly emerging from the shadows. He wore a silk half-top hat and a black frock coat, his face blurry and unrecognisable.

    Ophelia and Despair both stood on guard as this man approached, neither retaining any weapon, apart from Despair¡¯s innate ability.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Despair spoke in a cold, dangerous tone.

    As the man grew closer, he replied.

    ¡°If you are really a fragment of little Sinner, then you should know who I am. Or is it that you don¡¯t retain his memories? Well, it doesn¡¯t really matter. You both can call me Demeter.¡±

    ¡®Little Sinner? Does he mean Lord Sinner?¡¯ Despair¡¯s gaze narrowed as he reached into his jacket pocket, procuring a small metal flask.

    ¡°It¡¯s no use, child of little Sinner. I don¡¯t feel fear. Whatever Lumi¨¨re Croft has accumulated in your stead, it¡¯s not enough. Not nearly.¡±

    Ophelia scoffed, approaching casually, as if he didn¡¯t mind the strange disparity between them. Although he was someone that may be referring to a Deity by a casual, almost belittling extent, he was the Demon of the Garden. His power in relation did not matter, he was a Demon!

    ¡°Mr. Demeter, why have you come to this place? No, rather, how did you come upon this place?¡±

    ¡°¡¯Why¡¯ is not important right now.¡± Demeter gradually approached the crumbling stone wall, placing his hand gently on its surface. ¡°This is the only thing keeping you two stable. I thought that this ¡®door¡¯ would be discovered far sooner by one of the Beacons, but none had the mind to look within themselves. No matter how many times the fifty-two cards were introduced to the world, and the House of Cards formed, none had the will to become a Heretic. Only Lumi¨¨re Croft could have the mind to do such a thing, and so he was the first to discover this door.¡±Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    ¡®The House of Cards is intricately connected with the Lord Sinner?¡¯ Of course, even though it had been Lumi¨¨re Croft¡¯s experiences, Ophelia still had much stake in the House of Cards. It was deeply connected to his story, and so he was intensely intrigued. But he had no mind to ask any questions, not of that sort. There was much more at stake than curiosity. ¡°What do you mean by ¡®door¡¯? This stone wall is a door?¡±

    Demeter scoffed. He simply pressed harder onto the surface of the stone wall. The strange runes on its surface shimmered, bending and twisted around his palm as they shot outwards, reforming themselves along the outer edge of the wall. It was in the shape of an arch- it was in the shape of a door!

    ¡°There is no rhyme or reason to it because you do not understand it. This door was placed here many tens-of-thousands of years ago in preparation. These are ¡®his¡¯ plans. Do not ever try to comprehend them, you will ruin yourself in its pursuit.¡±

    ¡°If what you indeed say is true, and Lumi¨¨re Croft is still alive, why has he disappeared from here?¡±

    ¡°¡¯Lumi¨¨re Croft¡¯ as a person no longer exists. He overwrote that fact when he decided to transform into a monster.¡± Demeter corrected him, staring down at the endlessly dark ground below. ¡°But he still remains,- his memory, the fragments of his persona still remain. They have been scattered in the place beyond this door, this was one of the many preparations little Sinner had made in the event that this door was finally discovered by one of his Beacons.¡±

    ¡°So there is a possibility of his revival?¡± Despair inquired. His tone had become a bit more respectful. If this person was affiliated with Lord Sinner, then it was the case that he should do so. Moreover, Despair did indeed wish for Lumi¨¨re Croft¡¯s return. After all, without that vessel, he could not enjoy himself in the waking world. Besides that, it was his duty to belong to Lumi¨¨re, that was the only memory that remained in his head, an inalienable command to serve. He did so reluctantly, but he did still yet serve the magician well.

    ¡°Indeed. If you wish it so, I can allow you past this door. There is no risk in doing so. Whether you perish or not, you would fade into nonexistence anyway. This place would die as Lumi¨¨re Croft does. His memory fragments will wither, and you will crumble like this door. However, if this is the path you choose, it will become clear to you that your death will be inevitable anyway. You will turn out like that crazy figure, Lain did.¡±

    He turned towards the two personae, grinning.

    ¡°So here are your two choices. You can die, or you can die with a purpose. Which will you choose?¡±

    There was no hesitation in their answer, nodding in unison. Whether this strange person could be trusted, whether the door would really crumble, and them with it, it did not matter. They were both of the mind to move forward in such strange scenarios. Ophelia had his will, and Despair his loyalty. This was how they had been made, how they had been formed, and they both needed Lumi¨¨re Croft for it.

    They were both masterpieces of liars.

 Chapter 123: Who is to die?

    Through the door made of glowing-runes, Demeter passed into the plane beyond, Ophelia and Despair quickly trailed.

    In the distant land past a rippling sea of shadow, a vast city on fire took shape. There was a thick, viscous fog obscuring parts of it, but the sections that remained clear were alight with bright, dancing crimson flames. Towers of red stone brick and wooden posts crumbled to nothing but ash, leaving the remnant landscape behind. And even though a blank and endless foggy sky remained above, flaming rubble still cascaded downwards from the heavens like rain.

    ¡®Is this¡­ Leiden? No, there aren¡¯t any such seascapes beyond its walls. Then Lindgram? Neither there, nor the City of Deepslate, only its channel between it and the northern north. Is this the waking world?¡¯

    Ophelia suddenly touched his face, grimacing. It was flesh!

    ¡®It is a real space! But where are we?¡¯

    In Lumi¨¨re¡¯s mind abyss, they were nothing more than specters. Lumi¨¨re could interact with them as if they had bodies, but they wouldn¡¯t be able to materialise as if they were truly people. That was why Lumi¨¨re had to use ¡®illusion¡¯ to mask their appearances over himself! If they were able to materialise, this world they had arrived in was very real!

    ¡°Is this your doing, or the door¡¯s?¡± Ophelia inquired of the figure wearing a top hat.

    Demeter stood at the edge of a cliff overlooking the sea, the grass nestling against his boots as he smiled warmly.

    ¡°This¡­ this is ¡®Heaven¡¯.¡±

    Ophelia and Despair had looks of shock and indignation on their face. ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Sorry, sorry. It was just a little joke of mine. This world is little Sinner¡¯s inheritance, this is his domain. He hoped that one of his Beacons would find this place, it is integral to his plan. Perhaps it isn¡¯t important yet, I¡¯m not quite sure, but it will become key. For now, it is simply the place that the fragments of ¡®Lumi¨¨re Croft¡¯ have scattered. His willingness to destroy himself for his goals caused what was left of him to shatter, and even if you gather up his pieces and build him back together, he might not be the same.¡±

    ¡°He was counting on that ¡®inalienable destiny¡¯.¡± Despair murmured. ¡°He surely thought that he would either be alive to destroy the world, or that the Phantoms he obsesses over would be caught in its destruction even if he remained dead. There was no downside to his recklessness, only his death¡­¡±Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    ¡°But the ¡®door¡¯ took him here instead. It was not just a step of little Sinner¡¯s plan, but also a safeguard. While ¡®Heresy¡¯ was the key that unlocked the door, it could also be a blade that killed the entrant. So the ¡®door¡¯ itself was also meant to whisk away, in whatever entirety it could, that entrant before they could completely die. If it were just plain craziness, Lumi¨¨re himself might have been transported here in a conscious state. But his actions were too hard on his very being. In the end, this was all that the ¡®door¡¯ could manage.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Demeter turned to face the two personae, rather, looking straight past them, as if they were hollow and opaque. Their gazes followed his, spotting what sat behind them. It was a sprawling landscape in comparison to the burning city, a field of emerald grass waving in the gentle, cold wind. Large-stalked sunflowers posed in patches of gold, like dawn defying the sky of smog. In the center of the field, there was an altar of marble with a pedestal lying in the center. It held up a still-beating heart, an endless source of blood pouring down the intricate designs of the altar.

    It was a beautiful sight. Neither Ophelia nor Despair had ever seen something quite like it. Although, not forgetting their circumstances, that wasn¡¯t much of a surprise.

    ¡°Is this world really real?¡±

    ¡°If the world we reside in is a world of Lies, then this is a world of Truths¡­ ha, a ¡®True World¡¯.¡± Demeter chuckled.

    ¡°A True World? Is this one of the Former Worlds destroyed by the Primordial Sins?¡± Despair wondered.

    ¡°It¡¯s something like that, perhaps. Although, this world was destroyed by Lord Sinner himself. If you can locate and placate his guardian dog here, you might be able to ask it more questions. It is far more knowledgeable about the matter than I.¡±

    ¡°His dog?¡±

    Demeter pointed out towards the vast city that was obscured by fog. ¡°He was the one that set the city on fire. Although, whether or not it burns out is up to chance. There are definitely peculiarities surrounding that city. But there¡¯s no purpose in exploring it, that¡¯s not your task.¡±

    Demeter reached down towards the pedestal of marble in the center of the field of sunflowers, picking up the beating heart that lay on its surface, bloodied.

    ¡°When you manage to pick up Lumi¨¨re¡¯s pieces, it¡¯s unlikely he¡¯ll be ¡®Lumi¨¨re¡¯ at all. Something important shall be missing, and your task will be to replace it.¡±

    ¡°How can we act in a supplementary manner?¡±

    ¡°Fuse with Lumi¨¨re Croft, kill yourself for his sake. That is what you can do if you wish for him to be revived. Both of you, either of you. It does not matter. Certainly, if you both die, the better the outcome will be, but without either of you making this choice, it certainly won¡¯t be enough.¡±

    ¡°This is why you said our deaths would be inevitable, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Demeter nodded. ¡°If you assume that the ¡®existence¡¯ of ¡®Lumi¨¨re Croft¡¯ has been overwritten by the monster he has become, then you are retrieving the ¡®evidence¡¯ that he existed at all. But a ¡®story¡¯ is not life, life is life. Just because you tell a tale does not mean it was lived. You are the existing experiences of Lumi¨¨re Croft. You have lived his tale to a minor extent, and that is exactly what is needed for his true revival. In the end, no matter who fuses with him, he will not be wholly himself. He may even be more equivalent to a ¡®persona¡¯ like you two. But that is just the outcome of his own choices.¡±

    Ophelia and Despair both looked towards each other, grimacing.

    Which one of them was to die?

 Chapter 124: Strange Creature

    ¡°Never mind that for now, you can decide later.¡± Demeter spoke once more. ¡°This heart I hold¡­ this is Lumi¨¨re¡¯s. It¡¯s not physical, not really. More like¡­ a symbolism of what his was. It wasn¡¯t beautiful, but it had the yearning for beauty. So, it is surrounded by a gorgeous field of flowers.¡±

    He tossed the beating heart towards Ophelia like a ball, who caught it with his open hands. Blood continued to drip from its orifices, spilling out onto his skin and towards the grass below.

    ¡°But not all parts of Lumi¨¨re Croft were that which sought beauty. Its manifestations in certain areas of this True World may be far more dangerous or otherwise inconsistent and strange. You might encounter peculiarities, errors that might corrupt you or endanger your existence.¡±

    Ophelia took a step towards Demeter. Underneath his feet, the blades of grass in the field turned a pure golden colour, not solidifying into metal itself, only adopting the hue; it was false splendor. Despair did the same, the blades of grass shrinking back as he approached, as if even non-sentient life feared his presence.

    Neither being noticed this, but the sight made Demeter chuckle underneath his breath.

    ¡°Will you not be coming with us?¡±

    Suddenly, as they both took another step, darkness closed in on them, and they became surrounded by a new environment. Ophelia reached forward, trying to grasp at the fading countenance of the strange being, but it had been far too late. He only retained a hold on the air in front of him, which had grown cold and rife with some sort of anxious disposition.

    Despair remained at his side, and around them, dozens of figures glanced over at them, their faces etched with surprise and fear.

    ¡°Bastards. Are you one of ¡®his¡¯!?¡± A man stepped forward, pointing a rifle towards Despair¡¯s head. It wasn¡¯t like the rifles from the physical world. It was a stark greyish-black, made of a thinner, smoother substance. It was sleek, almost perfect. The figures that surrounded them also dressed quite strangely, in black canvas vests and thick padded helmets.

    Despair quickly lurched forward, brushing the barrel of the rifle aside with his hand as he raised his other fist, a malevolent black aura gathering around him as he punched his hand through the man¡¯s skull, sending blood and brain matter flying outwards across the ground behind him.

    He let out a ¡®tsk¡¯ as the crowd around them exclaimed with panic, raising their own rifles towards the two men.

    ¡®I¡¯m running out of accumulated fear. This will help soothe that issue.¡¯If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

    The two ignored their adversaries, glancing around at the place they had appeared in. Tall black spires stretched upwards around them, holding up a suspended ceiling that stood as high up as the sky. Thousands of stairs in a spiraling formation ran up the length of these spires, leading up to the ceiling above.

    ¡°You- who are you!? Are you with the Demon!?¡± Another one of the men stepped forward, pointing his ironsights down at Ophelia.

    ¡°No, Stark! They killed Pieter! They¡¯re with Mauniel!¡± Another woman screamed.

    Ophelia glanced over at the man, Stark, who had approached him.

    ¡°Where are we, boy?¡±

    Stark¡¯s eyes narrowed, still holding up the rifle at him. ¡°What do you mean, where are we? Shouldn¡¯t you know? This is your Master¡¯s fortress, his Citadel.¡±

    ¡°What Master? I am the Master.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not Mauniel. You don¡¯t resemble a Demon at all.¡±

    Despair, listening to this exchange, glanced at Ophelia, before beginning to laugh exuberantly. ¡°A Demon! You don¡¯t resemble a Demon!¡±

    Ophelia¡¯s eyebrow twitched, and he began to raise his hand towards the man, Stark. The man suddenly pulled the trigger of his rifle, a bullet cascading through the air as it tore into Ophelia¡¯s palm. Crimson blood flew through the air, leaving a gaping hole where his flesh had been. Ophelia grimaced slightly, retracting his hand and holding it with his other, while Stark took a step back.

    ¡°No, you¡¯re human, you bleed red! How did you appear so suddenly? How does your comrade have this strength? Why kill Pieter? Who the hell are you people!?¡±

    Ophelia glanced up at Stark, blood still pouring from the wound in his palm as a twisted, confident smile curled up the edges of his lips.

    ¡°I¡¯m a Demon.¡±

    Suddenly, from the depths of the ground below, thousands of creature arose, surrounding the group of men and women.

    ===

    As soon as the other two had disappeared, Demeter turned to face a creature standing beside him, one who had been there the entire time, tacitly observing the conversation between him and the two personae.

    ¡°What do you wish from continuing this? You didn¡¯t have to press the issue, you could have given him back his body. By forcing yourself into existence, you created a larger matter that has to be resolved, both for your own survival, and for Lumi¨¨re Croft¡¯s.¡±

    This creature seemed to resemble the silhouette of Lumi¨¨re, but its entire being was pitch-black, like a void that simply didn¡¯t exist in any normal state. It shifted at times, into something incomprehensible, writhing tentacles thrashing about before returning to the simple silhouette.

    Demeter scoffed. ¡°You can¡¯t speak. Of course, you¡¯ve only ¡®existed¡¯ for a short time, you haven¡¯t yet observed any semblance of language.¡±

    Its maw opened up, a writhing tongue of void clicking against the top of its mouth which stretched to inhuman proportions.

    ¡°Lan-language.¡±

    He chuckled. ¡°Yet smart enough to pick up on keywords. You might become a credible threat. It doesn¡¯t help that you have control of the body. I¡¯ll let you follow them for now. Learn the language, learn mannerisms, and when you can act the part, let¡¯s make a deal regarding the existence of Lumi¨¨re Croft.¡±

    The creature stared at him blankly, pointing up at itself.

    ¡°Yes, you. The madness you derive yourself from, this beast you¡¯ve turned into¡­¡±

    This ¡®Monster¡¯- he was the representation of the squid-like monster that Lumi¨¨re¡¯s body had transformed into, manifested within the Sinner¡¯s domain. He was crucial to the revival of Lumi¨¨re Croft.

    Demeter chuckled, turning away from the creature.

    ¡°Your name is ¡®Monster¡¯.¡±

 Chapter 125: Indifference

    From the depths around them, various creatures arose. Some bore pale, palid flesh that had been etched by decay, rotting blackish-yellow pus oozing from bright-pink wounds.

    ¡°Retania! Bullets!¡± Stark shouted. The woman beside him who had previously decried Ophelia suddenly sprang into action, throwing a magazine over to the man. Ophelia and Despair fell back-to-back, eyeing the approaching horde of monsters with aggression. What sort of strange world had they fallen into? Even this was without warning from Mr. Demeter, so it must be of importance! Was another fragment of Lumi¨¨re Croft hidden in this weird place?

    Ophelia turned towards Despair, ¡°why don¡¯t we just leave? Dealing with these monsters seems boring.¡±

    ¡°Agreed. Let¡¯s just leave these people to whatever they were doing previous to our arrival. It¡¯s none of our business, and it¡¯s certainly not our problem.¡±

    The two scoffed as they began to waltz in the opposite direction of the approaching horde, the group of humans acting as a stopgap between them.

    Suddenly, a figure emerged from the shadows, raising an m1911 in the air as he fired off several bullets, blood cascading past them as the rounds erupted through the monsters skulls. Ophelia and Despair shot this person a glance, turning around.

    He had dark, slicked back hair and piercing blue eyes. His face was grim, but the edges of his lips twitched with a hint of craziness. He wore a fine black suit and a black tie, and his formal shoes clacked against the stone floor as he walked towards the group, ignoring the monsters around him. A thick black aura permeated from his figure, pitch-black footprints buried in the floor behind him.

    He raised his pistol as a monster lunged at him, sending a bullet bursting through its brains before it could even touch the ground. Another jumped up at him from below, but he had already pulled out a balisong, its momentum carrying it into his blade without him needing to twitch a single muscle. The figure stopped just before the two, not paying a glance towards the man, Stark, and the woman, Retania.

    ¡°Good morning.¡± He smiled genially. There was a hint of madness retained in his expression.

    ¡°You¡¯re still alive?¡±

    It was Lain! This crazy bastard had survived all of that madness, all of that struggle! But how?

    Lain shrugged. ¡°Lumi¨¨re Croft tried to kill me, but his guess was wrong as to how this would work- he forgot to anticipate the fact that I am only an ¡®illusion¡¯, not his true body. In the end, he was the one that died, and I was sent here¡­¡± This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    But even that raised more questions¡­ it was just too odd.

    ¡°Why were you sent here? We were retained in the abyss of his mind, even Lumi¨¨re himself appeared in there before he shattered. Why were you different?¡± Despair raised an eyebrow, kicking at one of the monsters without breaking eye contact. It burst into a thousand bloody pieces, splattering against the ground ahead.

    Lain shrugged.

    ¡°I just woke up a few minutes ago, I¡¯ve been walking through this place only a short time. There¡¯s a beautiful field outside of this place¡­¡±

    Ophelia reached into his coat pocket, procuring the fiercely-beating heart. It immediately began spilling blood onto the ground, dripping down his arm and sleeve. Lain¡¯s eyebrow raised as he saw this.

    ¡°What is that?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Lumi¨¨re Croft¡¯s, or at least its representation¡­ Mr. Demeter said so.¡±

    As soon as Lain came close to the heart, it began to react violently. It churned, twisting, until it thrust itself at Lain, absorbing itself into his body. Half of his hair turned a dark-brown colour, spilling outwards towards its edges like oil. Ophelia and Despair glanced at each other, smirking.

    ¡°It¡¯s like building a doll¡­ and Lain is the base¡­¡± Ophelia chuckled dryly, placing a hand against his chin as he began to contemplate.

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    Despair raised an eyebrow. ¡°What if he is one of these ¡®representations¡¯? After all, we came to the conclusion that the ¡®craziness¡¯ of Lumi¨¨re Croft was something he took from Lain. If you¡¯re here now¡­ it may just be the case that you¡¯re not real¡­¡±

    Lain raised his pistol again, shooting several holes into the side of an approaching monster. His shots were getting sloppier.

    ¡°I feel perfectly real.¡±

    ¡°Shut up, dog.¡± Ophelia spoke in a low, wry tone of voice. He then turned towards the crowd of monsters, pointing towards them. ¡°You mentioned that you saw a field outside of this place. Is there an exit past those monsters?¡±

    The crowd had waned significantly since Lain had appeared, but many of the members of the human group had already fallen to them, plus the one that Despair had killed when they had arrived.

    Overhearing them, Stark shouted towards them, grimacing as he continued to shoot at the approaching monsters.

    ¡°There-there is no exit! The only way out of this place is to kill its Master, Mauniel! This is his Citadel! There is no escape otherwise!¡±

    ¡°I really did find a place. It¡¯s how I got in here.¡± Lain mentioned casually, brushing blood off of his cheek, which only smeared it further.

    ¡°Good, lead us to it.¡± The three seemed to act in a calm, professional matter, as if everything that was happening around them was completely below them. It was like the significances of this world had no sway on their hearts, like they were just passing by, only visitors.

    ¡°Wait! Take us with you if you have a way out!¡±

    Ophelia glanced down towards the man, a look of disgust etching itself into his face.

    ¡°Why the fuck would we do that?¡±

    Staring at Ophelia, the man, Stark, seemed to have fear, true fear within his eyes. He realised it then. It was the same look he had on his face when he had first witnessed Mauniel, the Demon of the Citadel.

    This person was a Demon, a true Demon!

    ¡°Goodbye, then.¡± Ophelia smirked, turning his gaze away as he continued walking away from them alongside Lain and Despair.

    Cries echoed through the hall as the remaining people were consumed by the horde of monsters, and darkness overtook the area.