414 Reason
Joseph and Rayan ca to a sudden halt, swiftly turning to face Lumian.
Lumian observed them in silence, offering no imdiate explanation.
Joseph, maintaining his smug and condescending grin, inquired, “Monsieur Ciel, I’m not sure I comprehend your aning.”
Lumian spoke with composure, “I granted you permission to visit , not the freedom to depart.”
“This is my Salle de Bal Brise, not your ho. You can’t co and go as you please.”
Though Lumian didn’t intentionally use Provocation, his deanor, tone, and ssage radiated unmistakable disdain, as if he held no fear of their wrath.
Rayan, his expression unchanged, narrowed his eyes, turned away, and continued his stride toward the staircase, completely disregarding Lumian’s words.
Joseph, with brown hair and eyes to match, glanced at Lumian, then at Rayan. His gaze flickered, but he made no move to stop him.
Unfazed, Lumian calmly drew his revolver and discharged a round toward the staircase without hesitation.
With a bang, Rayan ca to an abrupt standstill once again.
Slowly, he pivoted to face Lumian, exuding a palpable pressure from his eyes.
A subtle movent in Christo’s pocket betrayed his discomfort and vigilance, sensing imminent danger.
Unperturbed, Lumian, holding the revolver, issued a sincere apology, “I’m sorry, I am carrying a concealed firearm.”
As he spoke, he glanced back at Rayan and Joseph, a faint, fearless smile playing on his lips.
Joseph’s feigned polite smile crumbled, replaced by a piercing gaze fixed on Lumian, as if assessing the mob leader’s resolve, confidence, and strength.
Lumian contemplated uttering, “What are you staring at? If you want to fight, let’s fight. If not, back down.” to further infuriate the Trier Cave Association representatives, but considering the presence of “Rat” Christo, he abandoned the notion.
It would expose his true intention of provocation rather than investigating their true purpose, making it challenging to explain to Gardner Martin, the current or forr Conspirer.
His unwavering gaze remained locked with Joseph and Rayan. With the revolver in his right hand, he deftly spun the cylinder.
After more than ten seconds that left “Rat” Christo visibly sweating, Joseph once again wore a polite smile and asked, “May we depart now, Monsieur Ciel?”
Oh, so you see through my true intentions of deliberately finding fault, hoping to get so action? Where’s your arrogance and self-esteem? Lumian chuckled inwardly and said in an infuriating tone,
“Not just yet.”
Rayan took an abrupt step forward, but Joseph restrained him.
The freckled, brown-haired, brown-eyed young man raised his chin slightly and locked eyes with Lumian.
“What must we do to gain your permission?”
Lumian’s smile held a tinge of disappointnt as he replied, “Answer my question, why did you invite Christo and to join the Cave Association? I don’t recall having a hobby of exploring and studying caves.”
Joseph fell into a brief silence before explaining, “Our association’s cave adventurers have encountered Christo several tis underground and noticed his in-depth knowledge of Underground Trier. He appears to be well-acquainted with many hidden routes, which aligns with our cave association’s criteria for invitations.”
“Rat” Christo didn’t voice any objections to this explanation. Although his primary activities involved smuggling underground, there were no completely hidden smuggling routes. They inevitably crossed paths with tunnels and mines known to cave adventurers and quarry police. During these encounters, it was inevitable that he would co across a few “passersby” or be covertly observed from a distance.
Lumian, all the while, idly stroked the revolver’s muzzle without interrupting Joseph’s narrative.
Joseph paused for a brief mont before elaborating, “There are two reasons for your invitation.”
“The first reason is an Earth Blood ore specin.”
The Earth Blood ore specin… Lumian hadn’t anticipated this reason at all.
Without taking much ti to consider, guided by his prankster instincts and recent advice from Anthony Reid, Lumian swiftly responded, “An Earth Blood ore specin… Ah, I recall now. I acquired it from a lunatic nad Flang. Isn’t it just a stone? It holds no value to . I don’t even know its whereabouts.”
Lumian then added with a touch of nostalgia, “It appears to have been stolen. I left it in a rented apartnt. Heh heh, individuals like us rarely have a place solely for rest and sleep. My apartnt was laden with nurous traps. Who would have imagined a thief successfully infiltrating and accessing the cabinet? What’s more, they only took the Earth Blood ore and left everything else untouched. It puzzled at the ti, making wonder if my recollection was flawed—the stone has long been lost, and no thief had broken in…”
Ciel Dubois’s words were delivered with a sincere and detailed tone, and his deanor conveyed an apparent lack of concern regarding the ore specin. Now, it rely seed like the loss of so insignificant item. Joseph and Rayan exchanged glances, their attitudes subtly shifting.
As Lumian finished his act, his mind raced, trying to decipher the rationale behind the Trier Cave Association’s interest in the Earth Blood ore.
The Earth Blood’s rock stratum has existed beneath Trier for centuries, if not millennia. The specific minerals concealed within it couldn’t have surfaced recently, catching the attention of Flang and other mineral researchers…
Official factions in Trier and certain secretive organizations probably know that a select few minerals within the Earth Blood rock stratum hold a connection to the death of Blood Emperor Alista Tudor. However, they haven’t uncovered their practical significance, rely corrupting the minds of those who encountered them…
That night, I activated the brand on my right hand, causing nurous high-ranking individuals in Trier to sense it. Soone might have identified the aura of Blood Emperor Alista Tudor through various ans, prompting an investigation into relevant items…
The whereabouts of the specific minerals within the Earth Blood rock stratum are a vital lead in their inquiry. Flang’s belongings were registered with the market district’s police headquarters…
Given the Cave Association’s connection to the authorities, they likely accepted the mission and sought out, the one who had acquired Flang’s belongings…
But why didn’t they just send soone from the police headquarters to inquire directly? The Purifier, Machinery Hivemind, and Bureau 8 mbers all possess corresponding police identities…
Of course, the authorities aren’t unified. They are officially divided between the governnt and the two Churches, but in practice, each faction harbors internal divisions.
The Eternal Blazing Sun Church’s Order Of Preachers clashes with the Brotherhood Minor and other ideological factions. The Church of the God of Steam and Machinery’s cloister system opposes the cathedral system. Bureau 8 is even more of a mixed bag. So mbers co from secret organizations recognized by the governnt, so are forr nobles like Sauron, who retains so influence, and others had been grood by Bureau 8 over the years…
The only thing holding them together is the fact that Bureau 8 mbers can’t officially align with any political party, or it would beco even more chaotic…
In such a fractured environnt, it is possible that a group within a faction had identified the Earth Blood ore’s unique trail of clues but doesn’t want others to know. Hence, they bypassed the police station’s public channels and conducted their investigation through the unofficial Cave Association…
Perhaps soone within the Cave Association has recognized this clue and possesses an in-depth knowledge of underground terrain and mineral specins. They are likely among the most proficient professionals…
Is this why they hadn’t directly requested my cooperation with the investigation and instead attempted to recruit into the Cave Association?
Lumian swiftly reached this preliminary conclusion, eagerly awaiting Joseph to reveal the second reason.
Joseph said, “We believed you had an interest in underground minerals and were a kindred spirit.”
“Did it really get stolen, or did you leave it sowhere else but have forgotten about it?”
“It must have been stolen,” Lumian said truthfully. “I found so traces of a break-in. Because of this, I beca concerned about the gold I had saved, so I went to the bank to rent a safe deposit box for it.”
Joseph nodded gently and said, “The second reason is that Kendall, an administrator of the catacombs, told us that among the individuals who brought Flang’s ashes there for burial, you seed to possess a unique sensitivity to sothing abnormal that others couldn’t perceive.”
They connected the dots from the Earth Blood ore to the catacombs… Lumian was enlightened.
“I’m not sure what you an by ‘special.’”
Joseph didn’t elaborate or push for further information. He simply looked at Lumian and asked, “Monsieur Ciel, may we leave now?”
Lumian regarded them for a few seconds before nodding slowly.
“Sure.”
The situation had taken an unexpected turn, causing him to abandon his plan of provoking the two liaisons and antagonizing the Trier Cave Association further.
While he had undoubtedly irked Joseph and Rayan, they had also obtained the answers they were seeking, or at least a part of them. There might be minor repercussions in the future, but a major confrontation was unlikely.
After Joseph and Rayan disappeared down the stairs, Lumian sat in contemplation for several monts. He holstered his revolver, stood up, and addressed “Rat” Christo, “This situation is more complex than I anticipated. I need to report it to the Boss.”
He considered a dangerous possibility.
If it turned out that the Sauron family was behind the investigation into the special Earth Blood ore through the Cave Association, and they discovered a connection between Ciel Dubois, a mob leader, and the supposed son of a wealthy businessman who exhibited peculiar behavior in Poufer Sauron’s King’s Pie ga, it could pose a significant problem.
Therefore, he needed to inform Gardner Martin imdiately, be forthright with him, and eliminate any potential hidden threats while seeking useful advice.
With the Iron and Blood Cross Order as a secret organization backing this entire operation and his primary mission assigned by Gardner Martin, Lumian had no intention of handling the matter on his own.
“Rat” Christo hesitated for a mont before forcing a smile and responding, “Alright.”
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