336 Armored Shadow’s Origins

Lumian shifted his focus away from thoughts of Roche Louise Sanson, the Soul Summoning Spell, and April Fool’s. He began recounting the tale from the very beginning, all at the behest of Franca.

“In the wake of the Cordu disaster, I found myself tainted by the corruption of the evil god, Inevitability. Fortunately, the protection granted to me by Mr. Fool allowed me to retain my sanity, preventing me from transforming into a monster.

“This corruption, a curse and yet a blessing, is now being extracted in stages, as per the instructions of Madam Magician. The aim is to channel this corruption into my own power, finding equilibrium with the corresponding Sequence Beyonder characteristic.”

Franca was enlightened.

“So, what you were referring to as a ‘special contract’ is essentially the power of a Contractee? No wonder you mentioned it’s impossible for me to learn it.”

Since Lumian didn’t know the powers of a Sequence 6 of the Inevitability pathway, she deduced his current state as a dual Sequence 7 Pyromaniac and Contractee.

Lumian nodded.

“That’s why Guillaume Bénet doesn’t dare to meddle with my fate recklessly. The degree of corruption within me is rather substantial.”

A sudden revelation crossed Franca’s mind. “To require Mr. Fool’s safeguard, it means there must be godhood involved. Could there be a chance for me to receive similar boons?”

Do you want to give everything a shot? Lumian clicked his tongue and asked, “Are you prepared to seek out the Great Mother, engaging in daily cycles of pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding? Alternatively, do you wish to put faith in the Mother Tree of Desire and drag stray dogs to bed?”

“Hiss…” Franca gasped and said, “I was merely musing. Engaging in the risky business of following an evil god is out of the question for me. The immediacy of gaining Mr. Fool’s protection by merely brushing against the power of an evil god, much like you, is a rarity indeed.”

“This isn’t a mere brush against power.” To dispel Franca’s unrealistic thoughts, Lumian divulged a little more. “The power of Inevitability is sealed within me. In essence, I beseech Mr. Fool and the corruption within me, for a boon instead of the entity known as Inevitability. This approach is pivotal for ensuring my very survival. Otherwise, I risk becoming unrecognizable or just dying abruptly.”

Franca instinctively exhaled and said, “Just tell me about the Spell of Harrumph.”

Lumian restructured his narrative, stating, “To prevent any indirect influences from Inevitability, I gave up the strange creatures that accompanied the knowledge bestowed by the boon. Instead, I obtained a wealth of information about creatures from the spirit world through Madam Magician. You know the rest.

“The Spell of Harrumph originates from a creature of the spirit world that I summoned. Initially, I aimed to summon the Shadow of Shriek. However, whether due to my invocation being witnessed by Mr. Fool or my summoning incantation lacking precision, I can’t say for certain, but the entity I summoned greatly diverged from the description of the Shadow of Shriek…”

Lumian delineated the relevant summoning incantation, the concept driving its formulation, the Armored Shadow’s visual attributes, and its array of capabilities, all in meticulous detail. He even used his barely-passable drawing skills to illustrate a rudimentary schematic.

Fish Scale Armor… Spell of Harrumph… Night Parade of Ten Thousand Demons… Soul Devouring Scream… Franca softly uttered these names to herself while gazing at the sketch on the coffee table, her gaze seemingly distant.

Lumian probed, “Is there an issue?”

Were Aurore present, would she also react in a similar fashion?

Franca snapped back to the present, her expression a blend of solemnity and exhilaration.

“That Armored Shadow might very well be from our world!”

“The world that you guys come from?” Lumian hadn’t expected such an answer.

Yet, it made sense. The armor’s design and the ability names bore a distinctive uniqueness, setting them apart from the present world.

Franca confirmed tersely.

“There are many countries in our world, and the culture and language of each country are different. The Armored Shadow is very similar to some entity in the myths and legends of the country your sister and I hail from.”

“Are you from the same country as Aurore?” Lumian was most concerned about this.

He paused a beat before continuing, “Did Mr. Fool’s might, combined with my imprecise incantation, summon the Armored Shadow from your world? Or did he transmigrate long ago, much like you, eventually transforming into a spirit world shadow after his demise?”

Franca said excitedly, “If it’s the former, it could signify a bridge between our two worlds. This implies the potential for our return! If it’s the latter, the question arises: how did he use the capabilities of our original world? Did he bring these skills along, or did he acquire them at a later time?”

Resolving these mysteries would inch her closer to the truth of transmigration, potentially paving the path back home!

Franca rose from her seat, her eyes gleaming with intrigue as she faced Lumian.

“Can you summon the Armored Shadow? I’m keen to witness it firsthand.”

“I have a pact with him. The need to invoke Mr. Fool’s intervention is eliminated for precise summoning,” Lumian observed Franca’s evident enthusiasm, as though she was readying to assist in setting up the altar. Steering the conversation, he added, “Nonetheless, I perceive him to be immensely dangerous. While under Mr. Fool’s aegis, the danger is mitigated. However, if that protection wanes, we could well find ourselves killed by the shadow. Yet, should we remain sheltered by Mr. Fool, direct communication remains an impossibility, precluding spirit channeling. We can solely execute the summoning rite.”

Franca frowned in disappointment.

“What’s our course of action then?”

Lumian pondered for a moment and said, “Wait till I gather 100,000 verl d’or worth of gold and fulfill the contract.

“By doing so, the pact’s power shall act as our shield, enabling us to figure out why the Armored Shadow demands such a substantial sum.”

After a thoughtful pause that spanned nearly a minute, Franca finally exhaled.

“That’s all we can do for now.”

Initially, her intention had been to promptly corroborate the situation concerning the Armored Shadow and extract pertinent insights from it. Subsequently, she planned to inform the Curly-Haired Baboons Research Society, pooling their collective effort to unearth viable solutions. However, for the time being, she had no choice but to defer these actions.

After a period of immersion in the summoning incantation, it became evident that Franca’s success rate in summoning was rather low, presumably due to an imprecise methodology. While it was possible that a Shadow of Shriek could be summoned, Lumian surmised that by omitting a particular descriptive line and using “Lumian Lee’s contracted creature,” the target could be pinpointed more precisely.

After a while, Jenna returned with a spread of coffee, treats, and meatloaf. The ravenous appetites that had ensued from their prior battle now found their solace in afternoon tea.

As evening approached, Anthony Reid, masquerading as a clerk, made his return to Apartment 601 at 3 Rue des Blouses Blanches.

“How did it go?” Lumian’s concern was evident, unabashedly displayed.

With his weathered top hat set aside, Anthony nodded slightly.

“I trailed the lady, her butler, valet, maid, and carriage driver to 20 Rue de la Terrasse, within the library district.

“It appears to be an alternate residence of sorts, akin to a safe house.”

Franca turned her gaze towards Lumian, inquiring, “Should we maintain surveillance?”

Lumian ruminated for a beat and then grinned.

“No need. Periodic checks to ensure they haven’t left will suffice.”

“Why?” Jenna had expected Ciel to rush to deal with them to gather more information.

Lumian’s smile was radiant.

“Behind them stands an organization known as the Sinners. Their point of contact is likely aware of Guillaume Bénet’s demise, prompting them to disengage and erase any traces, making investigation thorny.

“Yet, if the Sinners find that they had managed to evade our pursuit and that there’s no surveillance, what might come to pass?

“Perhaps a connection will be reestablished!

“Only authentic non-surveillance can convince the Sinners that the issue has faded. They could then become active anew, crawling out from their rat’s nest!”

Dammit… Jenna cursed silently.

Ciel is so sinister!

Anthony, having garnered significant intel, claimed two-thirds of the final 15,000 verl d’or, leaving Jenna with a share of 5,000.

As banknotes were deftly stowed away within assorted pockets, Anthony Reid turned his attention to Lumian.

“I’m eager to delve into the secrets surrounding Hugues Artois and the truth behind his treachery. I hope to begin the investigation soon.”

This was the primary reason for his involvement in the operation.

“Very well.” Lumian had already discussed this matter with Jenna and Franca.

Jenna was set to glean relevant details from the Purifiers.

As Franca was highly excited about the Armored Shadow matter, she took the initiative to suggest,

“I have acquaintances from Loen. I’ll see if I can obtain a battle record from the Loen military. It might shed new light on the situation.”

“That’s a good idea.” Anthony Reid’s eyes lit up.

The notion of soliciting the truth directly from the attacker had not previously crossed his mind.

…

On Rue Anarchie’s forever-bustling nights, Lumian, relinquishing the task of divining the incantations to Franca, walked towards Auberge du Coq Doré. There, his intent was to summon the messenger of Madam Magician, intending to relay matters regarding Guillaume Bénet, the Sinners organization, and the Armored Shadow. Concurrently, he hoped she could relay to Madam Justice and Madam Susie his readiness for their final therapy session.

Under the cool embrace of the night breeze, Lumian’s thoughts unfurled languidly.

After learning from Franca about the shared trait among members of the Curly-Haired Baboons Research Society, Lumian’s impression of Aurore crystallized.

Of course, the vagueness was something he didn’t understand at first, but he deemed it of little consequence. Investigations were unwarranted.

It’s no wonder that Aurore severed her familial ties to reside in Cordu, a frontier village. It’s no wonder that she harbors a disinclination towards Trier. It’s no wonder she always says strange words and likes to explain to me what they mean. It’s no wonder her novels were different from the contemporary ones. It’s no wonder she likes to say ‘a certain philosopher from home once said’ only to substitute it with ‘Emperor Roselle once said’… Lumian ruminated in a wordless, contemplative cadence, a sensation of calm washing over him, as if he wasn’t strolling on Rue Anarchie but Cordu.

It was a place he could never return to.

Simultaneously, Lumian gained an understanding of the symbolic elements in the dream.

Aurore’s acquisition of the land previously occupied by a deceased Warlock—could this embody her possession of Roche Louise Sanson’s body?

Consequently, might the legendary Warlock, Roche Louise Sanson, symbolize the original adherents of Inevitability?

Mr. Poet failed to interpret the dual symbolic meanings because he lacked crucial information previously. He had solely indicated to Lumian that they likely bore their own significance.

As his thoughts raced, Lumian returned to Room 207 and saw a simple folded letter on the table.

Letter? This doesn’t seem like Madam Magician’s… Lumian walked over, alarmed and suspicious. He picked up the letter and unfolded it.

Two lines of elegant Intisian script graced the parchment:

“I have arrived in Trier.

“Hela.”