n

n

n232 Financing of Activities

nThe Iron and Blood Cross Order… appears to have some significant plans in the works… Lumian finally grasped Mr. K’s true intentions for persuading him to join a mob.

nThe Iron and Blood Cross Order—an equally secretive organization—seemed to be related to a competition of faith and Trier’s situation.

nCuriosity stirring within him, Lumian inquired, “What exactly is the Iron and Blood Cross Order?”

nThe more Lumian understood, the more he inclined towards actions that would gain Gardner Martin’s approval.

nMr. K let out a chuckle. “Allow Gardner Martin to personally enlighten you. If you possess knowledge about their circumstances before they disclose it to you, they are likely to notice some problem.”

nSo, you found a wanted, simple country boy like me to be a spy? You wanted someone with a clean slate and humble background? Lumian pondered, nodding thoughtfully.

nHis thoughts wandered to the mysterious item Gardner Martin had smuggled into Trier through Rat Christo, as well as the support the Savoie Mob extended to Hugues Artois. After two seconds of contemplation, Lumian voiced his suspicion, “Could the Iron and Blood Cross Order’s plan be connected to Hugues Artois?”

nIn a raspy voice, Mr. K responded, “According to the information we’ve gathered, that is merely one component, not the primary one.”

nI see… Lumian then broached the topic of “mirror people” before continuing, “Gardner Martin seemed aware that the item he had the smuggling caravan transport could trigger a corresponding incident.”

nMr. K fell silent momentarily before speaking, “I suspect that item holds immense importance. It’s a matter you’ll need to unravel. Don’t worry. Our Aurora Order is generous with rewards. When the time comes, you can make any request.”

nJust as Lumian was about to internally utter the words, “Help me revive my sister,” Mr. K added, “As long as it lies within my power.”

nVery straightforward… If I genuinely become an official member of the Iron and Blood Cross Order and gain access to pertinent information, they will undoubtedly grant me certain privileges. And in turn, I can seek rewards from the Aurora Order. Yes… This is akin to further fulfilling Madam Magician’s mission. She won’t reject me, the bearer of a Minor Arcana card… Such “treatment” is rare—to receive three rewards for a single task… As Lumian silently sighed, he assumed it wouldn’t matter if he faced rejection.

n“I now require some financing for my future endeavors.”

nThe purpose of these funds was to enhance Lumian’s personal strength and establish a “solid foundation” for completing the mission.

nMr. K nodded. “No problem. I will provide you with 10,000 verl d’or later. This is one of the perks of officially joining our Aurora Order and participating in a high-risk mission.”

nIn Intis, “perk” was a commonly used term coined by Emperor Roselle.

nVery generous… At that moment, he found himself wondering if he should seek out more secret organizations like this one, just to enjoy additional membership perks.

nRising from his seat, Mr. K extended his hands and began to circle Lumian slowly.

nAs he walked, he spoke in a solemn tone, “My Lord is the great being who created this world, the father of all living creatures.”

n“We all originate from Him, carrying the divine essence He bestowed upon us.”

n“Divinity exists within every living being, and no one is inherently more noble than another. We distinguish our status based on our proximity to our Lord and our ability to embrace His teachings.”

n“It is through our shared divinity that we can consume potions, face trials, and accumulate more divine power. Ultimately, we can become angels in service to my Lord…”

nIs he preaching? Lumian couldn’t help but feel that there were similarities between Mr. K’s words and Madam Magician’s story of the original Creator—the Oldest One—fragmenting and manifesting different Beyonder characteristics. They seemed to share a common essence.

nThis led him to suspect that the True Creator of the Aurora Order corresponded to the Oldest One.

nAfter nearly fifteen minutes, Mr. K concluded his preaching and traced a cross on his chest, starting from the top and moving to the bottom, left, and right.

n“Praise be to you, the creator of all things. Praise be to you, who carries the burdens of the world’s sins.”

nLumian followed suit, offering his own words of praise.

nMr. K then proceeded to introduce the Aurora Order.

n“We currently have a total of seven Saints and twenty-two Oracles, each designated by alphabetical code names, scattered across various locations…”

nThere are still 21 individuals as powerful as Mr. K? The Saints are Sequence 4 and Sequence 3 demigods with godhood. And there are a total of seven in the Aurora Order? Lumian was taken aback by this revelation.

nThe Aurora Order was far more formidable than he had anticipated!

nAs for whether there were any figures on the level of angels, Mr. K did not mention it, leaving Lumian to wonder.

nConcluding the introduction, Mr. K took hold of his right index finger with his left hand and tore it off. He then tossed it to Lumian, the finger dripping with blood.

n“Use it in times of dire need.”

nLumian caught the finger, its blood already congealing, and imagined the phantom pain he had experienced before.

nAlthough he was unafraid of pain or injuries in battle and could stab himself without hesitation when necessary, he couldn’t simply pluck out a finger without reason, as Mr. K had done.

nIn a matter of moments, a new finger sprouted from Mr. K’s hand, its skin fair and unblemished.

nWith the gathering scheduled for 9 p.m., Lumian secured the 10,000 verl d’or and made his way to Psychic’s old journal library, a lavish off-white six-story building located at 19 Rue Scheer. He stayed there until 6 p.m.

nThen, he leisurely found a nearby restaurant and spent 2 verl d’or on an inexpensive set meal.

nThe meal included an ordinary bottle of red wine, a bowl of soup, three dishes, a dessert, and an unlimited supply of bread.

nLumian made his selections from the provided menu, opting for a beef chowder, braised rabbit meat, and a serving of roasted cauliflower.

nAs the gathering commenced, Lumian, already in possession of the Scorpion Poison, sold the aquatic monster’s blood, poisonous scales, and other items he had no use for, fetching him 100 verl d’or.

nThus far, he had amassed a total of 14,710 verl d’or and 24 coppet in cash, mostly courtesy of Mr. K.

nThis filled him with confidence that he could gather the remaining 30,000 verl d’or within a short span of time.

nIf he borrowed a bit here and pocketed a bit there, combined with the spoils of war, wouldn’t he have enough?

nShortly before 11 p.m., Lumian returned to Le Marché du Quartier du Gentleman.

nRuhr and Michel, residents of the third floor who made a living selling photos of street maîtresse d’atelier near the Suhit steam locomotive station, were hauling a bulging flaxen-colored cloth bag up the stairs.

nLumian cast a curious glance at the white-haired duo and asked, slightly puzzled, “So late?”

nHe knew that Ruhr and Michel also worked as part-time scavengers, having encountered them on a few occasions before. However, he recalled that their work typically ended by nine.

nRuhr, clad in tattered clothing with a slight hunch to his back, mustered a smile and replied with a touch of joy, “Tonight, the member of parliament’s office hosted a celebratory feast and discarded a lot of valuable rubbish. We waited until the bags could no longer hold before returning.”

nThe market district’s member of parliament’s office was celebrating Hugues Artois’s election? Lumian nodded subtly and walked past the elderly couple, making his way to Room 207.

nBefore igniting the carbide lamp, he noticed a square-folded white paper on the table, illuminated by the faint crimson moonlight streaming through the window.

nObserving the neatly folded paper, Lumian suspected it to be a letter from Madam Magician.

nThe Pyromaniac potion formula? Did she have the messenger leave the Pyromaniac potion formula here before my arrival? Is she so confident in my ability to become an official member of the Aurora Order? Or does she have something else to inform me about? These thoughts raced through Lumian’s mind as he ignited the carbide lamp, picked up the white paper, and carefully unfolded it.

n“Your next mission is to complete the task assigned by Mr. K. Do you understand what I mean?

n“Pyromaniac potion formula:

n“Main ingredient: Fire Salamander gland, Magma Elf core;

n“Supplementary ingredients: 50 milliliters of Fire Salamander blood, 10 grams of Magma Pyroxene powder, 10 grams of Redcrown Balsam powder, 10 drops of Sun Star extract.

n“Usage: What do you think?”

nShe actually wrote down the main ingredient… Does this mean I’ll need the accompanying parts for the potion? Is Madam Magician also interested in uncovering the Iron and Blood Cross Order’s current situation? How did she know that today would be the day Mr. K would assign me this task? Or does she simply disregard Mr. K’s intentions? Does she only hope that I can gain more of Mr. K’s trust and gradually become a core member of the Aurora Order? Lumian leaned towards the first possibility, but he couldn’t dismiss the latter.

nFor now, he had no choice but to follow her instructions.

nHaving attended two mysticism gatherings, Lumian had developed a certain understanding of the potion formula’s value. He knew that the Pyromaniac potion formula in his possession was worth at least 30,000 verl d’or.

nIf he were to sell it, he could exchange it for the Pyromaniac Beyonder characteristic.

nOf course, this idea was fleeting. Without Madam Magician’s explicit agreement, he didn’t dare entertain it.

nWouldn’t it be equivalent to trading Madam Magician’s potion formula for her Pyromaniac Beyonder characteristic?

nInstead, Lumian found a more feasible plan, inspired by a popular trade scheme in Intis which was also known as Commercial Paradise or Financial Empire.

nThe plan required a down payment of 10,000 verl d’or, with the remaining 20,000 to be paid in installments over a year, along with a 10 to 15% interest.

nAfter careful consideration, Lumian, sensing a high likelihood of Madam Magician possessing godhood, dismissed the idea.

nHe had already gathered almost half of the required funds. There was no need to risk offending a demigod by negotiating installments.

nEven if Harvest Sacrifice didn’t yield a satisfactory price or Franca had little savings due to her extravagant lifestyle, Salle de Bal Brise still had a substantial amount of cash in its safe. As the protector of the dance hall, what harm would there be in embezzling a small sum?

n