219 Probing
Lumian’s eyes locked with Louis Lund, who occupied the driver’s seat of the carriage, and received a confirmation nod.
Drawing a deep breath, Lumian strode toward the four-wheeled carriage, crouched down, and entered it.
He grasped the gravity of the situation.
Mada Pualis, cautious and aware, refrained from responding through letters. Instead, she concealed herself near 9 Rue des Pavés, anticipating Lumian’s arrival for the reply. This strategy effectively minimized the risk of being trailed and cornered.
In the blink of an eye, Lumian’s attention was seized by a familiar figure.
Adorned in a ticulously tailored black corset dress and a slightly mischievous lady’s round hat, she exuded an elusive allure. Her untad brows, lively brown eyes, and moist lips radiated a sense of allure. A cascade of brown hair, half-up and half-down, graced her shoulders. Although informal, her elegance, immaculateness, and enchantnt remained undeniable. She was none other than Pualis de Roquefort, the wife of Cordu’s administrator.
“Long ti no see,” Mada Pualis greeted him with a smile, yet her eyes emitted a frigid glare, sending shivers down one’s spine.
Simultaneously, Lumian observed a shift in his surroundings.
The carriage vanished, leaving him stranded in a desolate wilderness.
There was nothing before him, and Mada Pualis had vanished into thin air.
Just as Lumian marveled at this bewildering turn of events, a colossal, irregular shadow erged on the ground.
Instinctively, he raised his gaze, t by a reflection of brown feathers.
Each plu rivaled the size of his head, assembling into a pair of wings that seed to obscure the heavens.
These wings belonged to Mada Pualis herself, who grew in stature, hovering in mid-air. Her feet transford into avian talons, glistening with a chilling gleam.
A majestic, ethereal voice resounded.
“You should have been buried with Cordu!”
Lumian’s heart constricted. Gripping his revolver, he swiftly pivoted and sprinted toward the edge of the wilderness.
If the visions within this dream held even an ounce of truth, he could escape Paramita once he reached its limits!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Lumian maneuvered in a curved path, firing rounds into the air. This constituted his sole ans of long-range assault.
Despite her imnse size, Mada Pualis displayed remarkable dexterity. The gusts generated by her flapping wings disrupted the bullets’ trajectory, enabling her to deftly reposition herself.
An ear-splitting screech emanated from her throat.
Ahead of Lumian, the earth beneath the wilderness upheaved, soil cascading away, unveiling yet another monstrous entity.
A repugnant odor filled the air as the python’s entire body writhed with yellow pus and deford worms.
Bloodshot eyes glared condescendingly at Lumian. Translucent silkworms squird in and out of its hollowed eye sockets.
The serpent’s gaze landed condescendingly on Lumian before it lunged over, its maw open wide, its yellowed fangs aid at the living prey.
Lumian’s head spun from the putrid stench that perated the air. With haste, he withdrew a sheet of drawing paper from his shirt and unfolded it.
A vibrant, golden-red sun adorned its surface.
Instantly, the surroundings grew warr, and the sky, once obscured by Mada Pualis, brightened.
The long-deceased python averted its gaze from Lumian, seemingly unwilling to face the sun’s brilliance.
Yet, its attacks rely slowed rather than ceased.
Seizing the opportunity, Lumian pivoted, clutching the drawing, and darted off in another direction.
Hovering mid-air, Mada Pualis parted her lips, uttering a sinister phrase unintelligible to Lumian.
An imdiate weakness washed over Lumian, diminishing his running speed, as if a grave illness had befallen him, leaving him yet to convalesce.
Right on the heels of that, Mada Pualis raised her head, emitting a sharp, pained howl.
At that mont, Lumian perceived an ethereal shattering sound.
It reverberated within his soul and body, casting a veil of darkness over his vision, propelling him toward the threshold of death.
Had it not been for Hunter, Provoker, Dancer, and Alms Monk fortifying his constitution from various angles, Lumian might have succumbed to his enfeebled state.
Clutching onto his last vestiges of reason, Lumian endured the agonizing pain, mustering his dwindling strength to reach into his pocket and brush Mr. K’s finger.
In an instant, he felt the refreshing touch of raindrops nourishing his body and soul.
His injuries swiftly nded at a visible pace, while the surrounding wilderness gradually dissolved into illusion until it vanished entirely.
Lumian caught sight of Mada Pualis seated opposite him in the carriage.
The chill had evaporated from her gaze, replaced by a sneering mockery.
“With your feeble strength, you aspire to seek revenge against Guillau Bénet?”
“When I departed Cordu Village, he gained a new boon after driving away us believers in the Great Mother. He now stands on par with a Sequence 5 Fate Appropriator. In the future, he may even procure the corresponding potion for consumption.”
Was her earlier attack rely a test of my capabilities? Lumian harbored no surprise at the padre’s Sequence 5 status. After all, his contracted abilities far surpassed those of a Contractee, yet he clearly lacked godhood. That left only two possibilities: Sequence 6 or Sequence 5.
Considering Guillau Bénet’s performance in the dream and his clash against Ryan, Leah, and Valentine, Lumian had long suspected him to be a Sequence 5 Fate Appropriator. Now, Mada Pualis had confird his suspicions.
What astonished him was that Recipients could consu potions to acquire additional abilities. However, they must choose the appropriate potion or a suitable alternative.
Lumian pondered for a mont, concluding that such occurrences were to be expected.
Beyonders themselves could receive boons; it was just that the process carried various complications.
Lumian t Mada Pualis’s gaze and responded calmly, “I still have ti to grow, and there’s a chance for to beco stronger. However, Guillau Bénet has little hope of attaining godhood. He doesn’t believe in the three entities that the Great Mother is a part of. I’ll catch up to him as soon as I can.”
Unspoken by Lumian were his hopes of acquiring more formidable allies. Being an evil god’s Blessed and having offended a follower of the Great Mother, Guillau Bénet couldn’t find many companions. They were likely wild Beyonders and Recipients who also believed in Inevitability.
Mada Pualis chuckled.
“Confidence is a good trait. I admire young people like you who are full of confidence. Would you like to join and worship the Great Mother? By doing so, you can gain additional assistance. Apart from the power of the potion, you can also receive boons.”
“I’d rather not beco pregnant and have children,” Lumian declined Mada Pualis’s kind offer in a tactful manner.
Mada Pualis smiled and replied, “It seems you haven’t yet experienced the holiness, preciousness, and joy of life and the wonders of new beginnings. It’s sothing I only ca to fully comprehend after giving birth.
“But there’s no need for you to refuse now. When you co to understand the greatness of the Mother, you can approach anyti.”
Lumian didn’t wish to dwell on matters concerning the Great Mother, so he changed the subject.
“I thought you got others to have children. I didn’t expect you to have one yourself.”
Mada Pualis’s face glowed with a maternal radiance.
“After becoming a Banshee, I had to bear a child myself in order to draw closer to the Great Mother.”
It’s hard to believe that you were once a man… Lumian almost hesitated to et Mada Pualis’s gaze. He swiftly redirected the conversation with a casual question.
“Did your child perish in the castle?”
“Yes,” Mada Pualis sighed. “His father killed him with his own hands. Regrettably, he was unaware that the child was his.”
“Who?” Lumian blurted out.
Mada Pualis smiled.
“Guillau Bénet. Didn’t you witness our affair? He didn’t notice, but I knew you were hiding behind the altar. I even considered inviting you to join us.”
I assud your affair was rely symbolic… So of it was real? Lumian was taken aback as several images flickered in his mind:
Mada Pualis and the padre entangled in their nakedness.
Mada Pualis praising the padre’s audacity, forthrightness, and masculinity.
The padre having Saint Sith put up with the transgression…
Noticing Lumian’s change in expression, Mada Pualis smiled and continued, “After arriving in Cordu and familiarizing myself with the surroundings, the first thing I did was seduce Guillau Bénet.
“He held true authority as a clergyman and was the only ans for Cordu to connect with the Eternal Blazing Sun Church. If I could bring him down and make him a believer of the Great Mother, combined with Béost’s identity, I could have truly established Cordu as my territory without arousing suspicion from the outside world.
“Coincidentally, I also needed a child. So, I decided to put him to the test. Within a week, I secured his bloodline as a contingency plan. However, around July or August of last year, his attitude suddenly changed, and he lost interest in the Great Mother. Unfortunately, I didn’t even have the opportunity to let him bear a child for to experience the wonders of life.”
“Last July or August?” Lumian repeated.
Every year, shepherds returned to the mountains during May and June.
“Yes, I rember it vividly,” Mada Pualis chuckled. “Later, that fool Louis Lund even attempted to seek his assistance.”
Lumian furrowed his brow and asked, “Why did the padre’s attitude change all of a sudden?”
“I’m not entirely sure. All I know is that during that ti, so villagers were spreading distorted ideas about horoscopes, and they were reported to Guillau Bénet. After interrogating those individuals, Guillau Bénet’s deanor gradually shifted.” Mada Pualis’s eyes seed to reflect the sunlight dancing on a lake’s surface.
“Who were they?” Lumian pressed.
Mada Pualis smiled in response. “Nazélie and the others—people you are familiar with.”
Lumian fell silent for a few seconds before speaking again, “Where were you, and what were you doing when the padre and the others attacked the castle?”
Pualis let out a brisk laugh.
“So, you finally ask. You should have already guessed the answer, right?”
She gazed at Lumian with a pained and twisted smile.
“Aurore attacked .”
Reviews
All reviews (0)