205 Banshee
Louis Lund shook his head.
“I’ve got no idea, but when Mada ca back, she wasn’t well either.”
“Then she saw the castle in ruins and the important items destroyed. She gathered the remaining ones and prepared to leave Cordu.”
Based on what I witnessed, it seems that Mada Pualis had indeed been engaged in a fight with soone else. Lumian asked with curiosity, “Why didn’t Mada Pualis try to bring the dead back to life?”
Louis Lund looked at Lumian, surprised.
“I never told you any of that…”
In other words, he wanted to know how Lumian had this knowledge.
Lumian smiled but offered no explanation.
Louis Lund couldn’t contain his urge to spill the secret.
“Mada can resurrect the dead and restore their bodies, but it’s far from perfect. The resurrected ones aren’t quite human anymore. They’re part corpse, part monster. They only retain fragnts of their original mories and can only exist for seven days.”
Mada Pualis’s resurrection ability is severely flawed at this level… Lumian was disappointed.
He diverted the topic.
“What did Mada Pualis want in Cordu?”
Louis Lund looked puzzled. “Didn’t I already tell you?”
Lumian was prepared and smiled as he replied, “Given what happened afterward, I believe you might have a different perspective now.”
Louis Lund felt the need to share the information, so he sighed and said, “Back then, I couldn’t comprehend it. I was even scared. That’s why I dropped hints to the padre during Mass, hoping for assistance.”
“Yes… I later discovered that Mada wanted to create an entirely new world in Cordu. In this world, when humans die, their souls return to the earth and roam the wilderness. On special occasions, they can return ho and experience the joy of reunion. By redeeming their sins, they can be reborn, erging from the Mother’s womb as human fetuses.”
“Paramita?” Lumian rembered the term from his dream.
“Yes!” Louis Lund replied, fear evident in his eyes.
He suspected that Lumian had asked the question to gauge his reaction.
Lumian knew the correct answer and sought to determine if Louis Lund was lying or how much of his story was false.
He could only inquire about it from Louis Lund, not Mada Pualis.
Louis Lund shook his head slowly.
“Mada briefly ntioned it, but it was very vague.
“She said she had only established a small, caricature Paramita, a part of the complete Paramita. She also ntioned that by creating her own Paramita, she could please the Mother and bear more.”
A part? What would happen if those Madas managed to create a complete Paramita? Lumian wondered if constructing a miniature Paramita was a prerequisite for their unusual path towards godhood.
He gazed at Louis Lund, attempting to inquire, “What is Mada Pualis’s Sequence now?”
“Mada’s condition is rather peculiar. It might be related to the destruction of her Paramita or sothing else she possesses,” Louis Lund replied, catching himself mid-sentence.
Why can’t I control my words? Why did I say what I shouldn’t have?
Louis Lund realized that his behavior had likely been influenced by one of Lumian Lee’s Beyonder powers.
Now understanding the cause, he no longer blad himself or felt anxious. He felt a sense of relief and relaxation.
“Mada should be sowhere between Sequence 5 and Sequence 4. At tis, she exudes an imposing aura that makes people afraid to et her gaze. Other tis, she lacks such grandeur.”
It’s reminiscent of the state Mada Pualis displayed in my dream… Lumian recalled and stated, “Sequence 9 Villain, Sequence 8 Gardener, Sequence 7 Heretic Spellmaster, Sequence 6 Sower… What cos after Sequence 5? And what about Sequence 4? What lies beyond that?”
He knows more than I anticipated… Witnessing Lumian Lee divulge so much information about the pathway’s Sequences in one go, Louis Lund didn’t dare take any risks. Yielding to his desire to confide in him, he responded, “Banshee is Sequence 5, and Evil Overlord, also known as Benevolent Overlord or Mada, is Sequence 4. I don’t know what lies beyond that. I’m rely a Gardener. I don’t possess the right to receive any further boons and advance to beco a Heretic Spellmaster.”
Banshee… The na implies a change in gender… Pulitt beca Pualis… Titles like Mada Moon and Mada Night symbolize godhood and demigods, but Mada Pualis doesn’t precisely fit the role of Mada Night… Lumian pondered for a mont before steering the conversation back to Cordu.
“Were Mada Pualis’s initial followers in the village mostly lovers and the elderly?”
“That’s correct,” Louis Lund affird, nodding. “People like Naroka, who were quite old, yearned deeply for their departed loved ones. They longed to see them again and worry about what awaits them after death. They experience both fear and longing. That’s the aid Mada can provide them. Unfortunately, Naroka passed away suddenly before fully embracing Paramita. Mada suspects that she discovered the padre’s sche and was killed by her youngest son, who follows the padre.”
That explains it… Lumian gained new insight into Naroka’s death from his dream.
Her demise was the result of being silenced.
Ava and Reimund likely t the sa fate.
Sighing, Lumian changed the subject.
“When did you realize sothing was amiss with the padre?”
Louis Lund contemplated for a mont and replied, “In early January, I caught sight of the children in the castle tower. You can’t fathom what it was like. To put it briefly, it terrified and nearly drove insane. I was desperate to leave Mada.
“Initially, I believed she was just like those mystical fanatics who enjoy purchasing magazines like Psychic and Lotus and engaging in futile practices. I didn’t think there was anything wrong. However, as ti went on, I noticed that the other residents of the castle were becoming increasingly peculiar. The administrator locked himself and Mada in their rooms on two separate occasions, coinciding with the birth of a child each ti. My valets and maids often did the sa, and Mada was remarkably understanding of their behavior.
“From ti to ti, the distant cries of a baby reached my ears, causing deep suspicion to well up within . Seizing the opportunity presented by Mada’s absence and the others’ lack of vigilance, I stealthily slipped into the tower. Oh, Mother, the sight that greeted was utterly terrifying!”
Louis Lund, originally intending to speak of Guillau Bénet’s abnormal behavior, found himself unable to contain his thoughts on the castle tower incident, and he began to ramble.
Lumian could vividly imagine the scene, for he had witnessed it in his dream: human children with bird-like claws, sprawled against the walls, densely packed and scattered throughout.
Louis Lund gulped nervously and continued his account, “I initially dropped hints to the padre during Mass. Later, I took the opportunity to reveal Mada’s abnormality to him. I suspected she might be a follower of an evil deity. He instructed to keep it hidden and not expose myself, assuring that he would handle the situation.
“It was around mid-January when things took a turn for the worse. The padre continued his normal routine as if nothing was amiss. Despite my repeated urging, you eventually discovered the truth and threatened .
“After that, Sewell, the carriage driver, and I received a revelation. We repented and wholeheartedly pledged ourselves to Mada.
“Then, in March, the padre suddenly launched an attack on the castle with a group of people.”
Louis Lund has limited knowledge about the padre’s situation. When Lumian inquired further about what had transpired in Cordu, Louis Lund seed unfamiliar with the village’s circumstances. This aligned with his role as the castle’s butler, primarily tending to matters in Dariège and other cities.
He only ntioned that since January, the villagers of Cordu had been frequently discussing horoscopes, believing that it would bring them glory and alter their destinies. Prior to that, they rely followed certain folk traditions to ward off any changes in their fate. Specific discussions regarding these matters were rare.
With the understanding that forr administrator Béost and Mada Pualis’s lady’s maid, Cathy, were now Heretic Spellmasters, and that Mada Pualis had left Cordu before Lent, Lumian realized he wouldn’t glean any more information from Louis Lund.
Knowing when to stop, Lumian posed a direct question, “Where does Mada Pualis reside now?”
“In Quartier de No?l…” Louis Lund instinctively moved to cover his mouth but added another detail. “Rue de Scotch Broom…”
Rue de Scotch Broom in Quartier de No?l… A map of Trier from a magazine article flashed through Lumian’s mind.
Quartier de No?l lay northeast of Le Marché du Quartier du Gentleman, divided by the Srenzo River. It was renowned for its nurous hospitals, including the Veterans’ Ho and Wounded Soldiers’ Hospital. Additionally, being situated in the suburbs, it boasted a fair share of farmland.
Lumian refrained from pressuring Louis Lund or intensifying his desire to extract more information. Instead, he smiled and said, “I bear no ill intentions towards Mada. I rely wish to speak with her about the events in Cordu.
“I will allow you to depart. Please inform Mada Pualis that if she is willing to et with , she can choose the ti and place. Ah, please send your response to Room 302, 9 Rue des Pavés, Quartier du Jardin Botanique, before tomorrow night.”
It was a safe house Lumian had prepared in Quartier du Jardin Botanique, and now it would finally serve its purpose.
Louis Lund let out a sigh of relief before responding cautiously, “Got it.”
Anxious thoughts plagued him, fearing that Lumian might allow him to depart only to trail behind him. Yet, considering Lumian’s evident capability to uncover Mada’s precise whereabouts without pressing the issue, Louis Lund found himself compelled to place his trust in Lumian’s amicability.
He then gestured towards his shorts and remarked, “I cannot leave dressed like this.”
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