In the semi-subterranean two-story building, Lumian and Aurore quietly consumed their belated lunch.
The mutton, which should have been succulent and tender, tasted utterly bland on their palates.
Barely satiated, Lumian was about to clear the table when tinkling sounds reached his ears.
"Leah and the others?" He glanced towards the door.
Aurore, too, sensed something. She set down her cutlery and fixed her gaze upon the entrance.
Moments later, the doorbell chimed.
Without hesitation, Lumian abandoned his seat and strode towards the door, peering at the visitors through the peephole.
It was indeed Leah, accompanied by the other two foreigners.
Valentine had finally changed his attire. Previously engulfed in flames due to the Sufferer's aura, Madame Pualis had tended to his wounds, but his scorched clothing was beyond repair.
Lumian swung the door open and greeted them with a warm smile.
"My cabbages, you already miss me?
"Oh, you actually can change clothes?"
Valentine had swapped his white vest, blue tweed jacket, and black trousers for a yellow vest, black formal jacket, and dark pants. White fabric flowers adorned Leah's white cashmere dress—one large and two small—concealing signs of damage with impressive sewing skills. As for Ryan, Lumian couldn't detect any difference in his outfit or evidence of his previous injuries. Lumian suspected the man had packed at least two identical sets of clothing.
"We've gathered information on those two matters," Ryan replied coolly, his eyes hinting that details would follow once they were inside.
Lumian sought Aurore's approval before fully opening the door and ushering the three investigators in.
This was the first time Ryan and his colleagues had met Aurore, and they exchanged polite introductions.
"About the impending horoscope shift, and the villagers' supposed good fortune, it's tentatively confirmed that the padre orchestrated the rumors," Ryan revealed, wasting no time as they settled around the dining table. "But I don't think it's that simple. The methods and rhetoric resemble those of a village witch. Under normal circumstances, the padre wouldn't devise such a scheme."
Village witches were part-time fortune-tellers who frequented small towns and villages.
Aurore nodded thoughtfully.
"Could it be the influence of the deceased Warlock? Hmm, a way to lure villagers into secretly worshiping the evil god."
"And they believed it so easily?" Valentine seethed.
His expression conveyed utter disbelief at the gullibility of Cordu's inhabitants.
It's all because believing in the Eternal Blazing Sun doesn't alleviate their poverty, and they're still oppressed by the padre and the administrator… Aurore held her tongue, fearing a confrontation with Valentine.
She could envision villagers experiencing tangible benefits from the padre and his followers after turning to the evil god, such as reduced contributions to the Eternal Blazing Sun or protection from Pons Bénet's harassment. They could even scare their irritating neighbors using the thug's name. In short, their lives would genuinely improve, giving them hope and fueling their devotion.
Nevertheless, Aurore didn't condone their actions. While the government and Church primarily sought money, the cults demanded lives.
Ignoring Valentine's question, Lumian 'helpfully' suggested, "You should ask the villagers yourself and thoroughly investigate the cause of their wavering faith. If you uncover the truth, I believe the papacy will hold you in high regard."
The papacy referred to the Eternal Blazing Sun's pope, a title shared by many church leaders. Lumian had recently learned this after perusing the materials Aurore had procured.
Valentine fell silent, evidently intrigued.
Aurore shifted the focus to Ryan.
"Did you locate Sybil's husband, Jean Maury?"
Ryan glanced at Leah, prompting her to speak.
Leah nodded and said, "We infiltrated Jean Maury's residence and obtained one of his belongings. Using this item, I performed a dream divination."
Dream divination… Aurore nodded, unsurprised.
As Lumian recounted their exploration of the castle the day before, Aurore had already pieced together their pathways and approximate Sequences based on the performance of the three official investigators.
Clearly, Leah belonged to the more common Seer pathway in Intis. Moreover, she wasn't a Sequence 9 Seer or Sequence 8 Clown, but at least a Sequence 7 Magician. This could be inferred from her Beyonder powers like Paper Figurine Substitutes and Damage Transfer, as well as her skills in divination and acrobatics.
Aurore wasn't certain if Leah had reached Sequence 6, as her knowledge of the pathway's subsequent stages was limited.
Valentine belonged to one of the main pathways controlled by the Eternal Blazing Sun Church: the Sun. Likewise, he wasn't a Sequence 9 Bard or Sequence 8 Light Suppliant. Aurore deduced from his Holy Light Summoning, Holy Water Creation, and Sun Halo that he was a Sequence 7 Solar High Priest. Furthermore, he likely hadn't reached Sequence 6 Notary, as he hadn't displayed the corresponding abilities.
Ryan's Beyonder powers were uncommon in Intis; he was likely a Warrior.
This pathway was primarily controlled by the Church of the God of Combat from the Feysac Empire in the north. However, in the past five to six years, numerous Beyonders and Beyonder creatures of the Warrior pathway had appeared in various countries.
Several members of the Curly-Haired Baboons Research Society had either actively or passively chosen this pathway.
According to Aurore's knowledge, this was also known as the Giant pathway. Sequence 9 was Warrior, Sequence 8 was Pugilist, and Sequence 7 was Weapon Master. Sequence 6 was a level that experienced a qualitative shift compared to previous Sequences. They were called Dawn Paladins, who possessed the strength of Giants and could create Sunrise Gleam in a certain area to eliminate illusions and negative or evil energies.
They could also condense full-body armor known as Dawn and weapons they were proficient with. Among them, the most potent was the two-handed broadsword, the Sword of Dawn. With the Sword of Dawn, they could unleash their Sequence's most powerful attack—Hurricane of Light. This could annihilate the human body, exterminate vengeful spirits, and even wound evil spirits.
Considering Ryan's performance, Aurore believed he was a Sequence 6 Dawn Paladin, though he probably hadn't become a Sequence 5 Guardian yet.
Aurore had always felt that these three official investigators were on par with her. Now, she realized that each of them was stronger than the last. If she wasn't prepared, she wouldn't stand a chance in a one-on-one battle.
It was well-known that in the official categorization, Sequence 9 and Sequence 8 were considered Low-Sequence Beyonders. They had some unique abilities compared to ordinary people, but their flaws were apparent. Sequence 7 to Sequence 5 were Mid-Sequence, where they began to possess extraordinary powers. Sequence 4 and above belonged to the demigod domain, making them worthy of the title 'High-Sequence Beyonders.'
According to some members of the Curly-Haired Baboons Research Society who had infiltrated official organizations, when dealing with ordinary Beyonder matters, a team of one Mid-Sequence and two Low-Sequence Beyonders would be assembled to carry out the first round of investigations. They would then deploy more high-level forces depending on the situation. This time, facing the anomalies in Cordu, the Intis officials had sent three Mid-Sequence Beyonders. They weren't taking the situation lightly.
However, even this joint investigation team didn't seem to be enough for Cordu.
Aurore had shared all this information with Lumian, and the siblings listened intently as Leah continued.
"In the dream divination, I saw Shepherd Pierre Berry. He emerged with a few nails wrapped in hair and stuffed them into the hay," Leah described the scene in the simplest terms.
Haystacks… nails and hair… Lumian instantly recalled his discovery under the guidance of the three sheep.
He had also found some nails wrapped in hair in the haystack of the Berrys' sheep pen.
He frowned and said, "Are those Jean Maury's nails and hair? Was he killed by Shepherd Pierre Berry at the Berrys' place?"
Aurore nodded.
"Originally, the custom of hiding one's nails and hair outside the house was to prevent it from affecting one's family horoscope and luck. It was limited to family members with a bad reputation or who committed suicide, as well as those who were murdered by their relatives. But because Jean Maury was killed at the shepherd's house, Pierre Berry still carefully cut off the other party's nails and took some hair to hide in the haystack outside the house?"
"No wonder it was there before… That must be from their previous victim. How many people have they killed in secret?" Lumian scoffed under his breath. "At this point, he's still worried about messing up his horoscope and luck?"
"Imbecile!" Valentine cursed aloud.
They had been briefed by Lumian earlier and knew about the three sheep, the haystack, and the old folk customs they represented.
After discussing for a while and confirming they wouldn't try anything else for now, Leah and the others bid Lumian and Aurore farewell and returned to Ol' Tavern.
The siblings didn't mention their speculations at noon, afraid it might deter the official investigators from cracking this case open from the inside. After all, they could only be affected and might escape with outside help.
After clearing the table and helping wipe it down, Lumian returned to his room and lay on the bed.
With conflicting thoughts and many unanswered questions, sleep eluded him for a long time. He relied on some meditation techniques to slowly calm his mind and finally drifted off.
......
In the room shrouded in faint gray fog, Lumian opened his eyes and sat up straight.
He lowered his gaze and looked at his chest. His vision seemed to cut through the thin cotton shirt and flesh, allowing him to see the black thorn tattoo and the bluish-black pattern underneath.
Is this the root cause of this endless loop? Lumian thought.
The black thorn symbol was at the heart of the issue, and the bluish-black pattern brought protection from that ominous force, allowing Cordu to be salvaged.
All of this could be traced back nearly six years.
Lumian remembered clearly that he had still been a street rat at the time. He had barely survived by relying on seeming unthreatening due to his young age and extreme ruthlessness.
Then, one day, he met a dying old man.
Maybe it was because he had picked up some street smarts, or maybe because the old man reminded him of his only family, Pépé, who had raised him until his early teens but sadly passed on, Lumian chose to lend a hand.
Though he ultimately failed to save the old man's life, Lumian still sent him to the crematorium and buried him in a public grave.
He had found the bluish-black symbol on the old man's corpse during this. From then on, he often dreamed of the vast expanse of gray fog.
His luck also turned sour, and he began struggling to scavenge enough food. Thankfully, he met Aurore not long after.
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