211 Spirit Channeling
While Lumian sneezed, Franca swiftly took two steps forward and crouched beside the fake Ive’s lifeless body.
With a delicate grip, she extinguished the flickering black flas that still clung to it.
“Thank goodness it hasn’t burned too far, or the soul would have dissipated,” Franca breathed a sigh of relief, straightening up. She reached into her pocket and retrieved a handful of powder that resembled the pitch-blackness of night.
Lumian stowed away the canister of stimulating gas and glanced at Franca, curiosity etched on his face.
“Are you planning to channel his spirit?”
In the recent battle, the fake Ive had displayed the strength of a Mid-Sequence Beyonder and wielded peculiar abilities. Lumian couldn’t hold back, or the situation would have taken a perilous turn.
Franca nodded subtly, responding, “Indeed. Channeling a spirit now will yield significant results.”
“And which entity do you intend to invoke?” Lumian asked casually.
Franca chuckled before answering, “None. I’ve rged the principles of Magic Mirror Divination and devised a spirit-summoning spell. While it may not rival the most professional thods, it suffices. Moreover, it won’t attract the attention of deities from the corresponding domain.”
“You’re quite clever,” Lumian praised, his words laced with a hint of mockery.
Exasperated yet amused, Franca retorted, “It’s called having an academic spirit. We—uh, your sister—have conducted similar research and experints. Usually, I can’t be bothered to overthink things. Not because I lack intelligence, but because the burden of endless calculations is tireso. The key to life is to remain relaxed and not get entangled in every intricate detail.”
Her gaze swept over Charlie, still sprawled amidst the rubble in the tunnel. Franca refrained from ntioning Gandalf, the president of the Curly-Haired Baboons Research Society.
Is this why you’ve adapted so well after becoming a woman? Lumian observed Franca building a wall of spirituality in the vicinity as he approached Charlie.
Witnessing Ciel’s approach, Charlie snapped out of his daze and crawled out of the debris on all fours.
Lumian gazed at him, his expression devoid of emotion.
What he was thinking was: Charlie has just witnessed the battle between Franca, , and the imposter Ive. If he seeks refuge at the Eternal Blazing Sun cathedral, there’s a high probability that he won’t be able to conceal it when questioned by official Beyonders utilizing their powers. This situation differs from the previous one, where the official Beyonders believed everything was under their control. They were prone to carelessness and had blind spots in their minds…
Charlie’s initial elation waned as Lumian continued to scrutinize him in silence. His heart began pounding like a jazz band’s drumbeat.
Fear and confusion evident in his voice, Charlie finally mustered the courage to ask, “What’s the matter?”
Lumian observed that Charlie’s luck remained a blend of red and black, although it had slightly improved since before.
This indicated that Susanna Mattise’s threat had not been completely resolved.
He fell silent for a few seconds before speaking up, “Rember to head to église Saint-Robert later.”
Having already contacted Mada Pualis, Lumian no longer needed to stay at Le Marché du Quartier du Gentleman or manage Salle de Bal Brise. As long as he remained with the Savoie Mob, he still had a chance to fulfill Mr. K’s mission.
Furthermore, Franca was now involved. With her vouching for him while in the Boss’s good graces, Lumian could be assigned other profitable ventures even without Salle de Bal Brise. However, the earnings might not be as substantial.
“Alright, alright!” Charlie heaved a sigh of relief.
Having experienced many things, Charlie possessed an open-minded personality. He belonged to the kind of people who grew more excited as the number of individuals increased. Soon enough, his curiosity got the better of him. Pointing at the lifeless imposter Ive lying on the ground, he asked,
“Who’s that? Why does he look exactly like you…”
Before Charlie could finish his question, he paused. As the fake Ive t his demise, the facial muscles relaxed, no longer resembling Ciel. The corpse appeared unfamiliar.
“That’s soone who believed in an evil god and gained strange powers,” Lumian explained simply, tailoring his response to Charlie’s comprehension. “He has a certain connection to Susanna Mattise.”
Charlie felt a lingering fear.
“No wonder he kept leading underground…”
Unable to hold back, Lumian cursed, “You imbecile! You’ve been with him for so long, and yet you didn’t sense anything was off about him? Does having my face an he’s ?”
Charlie replied sheepishly, “When I entered Underground Trier, I sensed sothing was wrong.
“He was very quiet. He only ntioned taking underground to completely resolve the Susanna Mattise problem. He’s not like you, always cracking jokes and teasing.
“I thought it was because the situation was urgent and you weren’t in the mood…”
Lumian sighed and shifted his gaze to Franca, realizing that Charlie, being an ordinary person, couldn’t see through the Beyonder disguise that could fool even official Beyonders, no matter how astute he was.
The Witch had finished preparing for her own spirit-channeling spell. Standing before the fake Ive’s lifeless body, she held two white candles and chanted a series of incantations in Hers.
Due to the wall of spirituality, Lumian could only catch fragnts of the chant. Franca described herself and the imposter Ive, with the forr being the source of spirituality and the foundation for maintaining the ritual, and the latter being the object of prayer—the Magic Mirror that provided answers to questions.
As for Charlie, he heard even less and couldn’t make sense of it all.
A faint light erged on the makeup mirror in Franca’s hand, and its interior turned into an abyss of deep darkness, as if it had sunk to the river’s depths.
A hazy, pale-white face swiftly appeared in the mirror, bearing a resemblance of 50 to 60% to the deceased fake Ive.
Switching to Intis, Franca inquired, “Who are you and which organization do you belong to?”
The imposter Ive, replied in a dazed manner, “Rentas, a mber of the Bliss Society.”
Rentas… Lumian suddenly recalled the na.
The word “Rentas” often appeared on the posters outside Théatre de l’Ancienne Cage à Pigeons. He was a prominent male supporting actor.
Franca pressed on with her questioning, “What kind of organization is the Bliss Society? And how is it connected to Susanna Mattise?”
The imposter Ive, Rentas, spoke with an otherworldly voice, “The Bliss Society was originally a secret society for won who love won. Susanna was one of them.
“She grew weary of being involved with mbers of parliant, high-ranking officials, bankers, newspaper moguls, and other n. She sought solace among fellow ladies and madams who shared her love for won. Eventually, she received divine enlightennt and a boon, becoming a priestess of my lord. She transford the small Bliss Society into a secret organization that worships my lord.
“In today’s society, it’s inconvenient for won to be openly involved in many affairs. Therefore, the Bliss Society has admitted so male mbers who can also receive boons, but they lack the privilege to partake in core matters or possess knowledge of the most confidential aspects.”
“Remarkable!” Franca applauded.
She knew that Rentas was referring to the evil god known as the Mother Tree of Desire. Delving into such matters made her apprehensive, fearing that she might stumble upon mystical knowledge she shouldn’t acquire.
A secret society for won who love won… Male mbers excluded from core matters… Lumian suddenly grasped sothing.
He stood by the wall of spirituality and gazed at the makeup mirror in Franca’s hand.
“So, Hedsey frequently seeks out street girls and hunts for prey because his desires cannot be fulfilled within the Bliss Society?”
“Yes,” Rentas replied. “Won love won exclusively. When I was a Sex Addict, I had to satisfy my desires on my own. Fortunately, I was more attractive than him and had female audience mbers who admired . There were plenty of street girls in the market district, so I didn’t need to take the risk of pursuing excitent.”
“That’s lit!” Franca expressed her feelings with peculiar words. She clicked her tongue and sighed. “Isn’t there a regular secret group for won who love won?”
“Yes,” Rentas firmly responded. “To my knowledge, there’s the Mont Society and the Narcissus Society. They often organize won orgies at Trocadéro’s Red House Café. We have been attempting to establish contact with them and convert them into believers of my lord[1].”
Trocadéro was situated in Quartier 16 on the north bank of the Srenzo River, in the square district. Known as the Triumph Square established by Emperor Roselle, it was a small town surrounded by a vast suburban forest. It was renowned for its exceptional wine production. Trocadéro Wine stood second only to Aurmir red wine in the world.
Fascinated, Franca listened and repeated the terms, “Trocadéro… Red House Café… Won orgies…”
Lumian couldn’t help but feel more concerned about the term “Sex Addict.” It seed to perfectly suit the twisted state of Hedsey. It likely corresponded to Sequence 8 of the Mother Tree of Desire pathway. However, he feared that ti was running out for the spirit channeling, so he didn’t rush to delve into the matter. Instead, he redirected his focus to Susanna Mattise.
“How did Susanna Mattise transform into an evil spirit? And why did you bring Charlie underground?”
Rentas’s pale-white face contorted in distortion.
“She died while receiving a boon and transford into an evil spirit.
“She told us that because her na was still on the lips of many Trieriens and her portrait was used by nurous n to satisfy themselves, she didn’t completely dissipate. She retained a certain level of rationality, albeit warped. She beca more consud by her own affairs, neglecting all else.
“She was gravely injured by official Beyonders during her last encounter and spent ti recuperating at the altar. We were worried that once she fully recovered, she would seek out Charlie and attract the attention of the authorities. So, we took advantage of the election and brought Charlie to the altar in advance, handing him over to her for handling.”
Charlie had already moved to Lumian’s side. His face turned ashen as he listened, feeling as if he had stepped into the depths of hell.
Franca nodded subtly and spoke, “Where is this altar? How much ti until Susanna Mattise fully recovers?”
“The altar…” The surface of the makeup mirror revealed a fading blurry face, unveiling an underground tunnel.
The tunnel stretched endlessly, branching off in multiple directions before leading to a small quarry cave engulfed by vines and branches.
There, a colossal brownish-green tree stump erged abruptly from the ground. Its form consisted of thick branches, with roots originating from an unknown place.
As the image of the tree stump grew clearer, Franca hastily interrupted the manifestation, fearing any potential disturbances.
Rentas continued, “Susanna will regain her full strength in two days and depart from the altar.”
[1] Such things did exist in the real world during that era. Parisians were experts in this regard. For further details, refer to Histoire insolite des cafés parisiens.
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