Circle of Inevitability

Gazing at the empty sheep pen littered with hay and dung, Ryan furrowed his brow and said, "Did they really fix the underground altar so quickly?"

He suspected the three missing sheep had been taken for sacrifice.

"Maybe these heretics have some special powers," Valentine replied with disdain.

As Lumian listened to their conversation, he suddenly remembered the faint sound of a sheep's bleating he heard the night before.

Could it have been one of the sheep being sacrificed? Puzzled, he shared his suspicion with Ryan and Valentine.

"That seems unlikely," Ryan dismissed, shaking his head. "The cathedral is hundreds of meters from your house, and the altar is underground."

What he meant was that even with a Hunter's enhanced hearing, it would be impossible to hear anything from the cathedral's underground.

Lumian shared that doubt, but couldn't explain why he heard the bleating. Simultaneously, a distinct burning sensation appeared in his chest as the black thorn symbol partially activated.

There was no way to fake this!

Burning sensation… Lumian's heart raced, recalling something the mysterious woman had said.

Pray to yourself… the principle of proximity…

Thinking back to the ritual that invoked Dancer's power and the black thorn symbol, he formed a new hypothesis.

He heard the sheep bleating during the sacrifice because of mysticism!

In simpler terms, when the padre and his group performed their ritual and prayed to the hidden being, the principle of proximity also targeted the corruption in Lumian's body, partially triggering the black thorn symbol. As a result, Lumian could faintly hear the sheep's cries from afar.

Him being unable to respond or knowing how—with the corruption now sealed by the owner of the bluish-black pattern—the padre's ritual ultimately 'contacted' the hidden entity.

After the ritual, the burning sensation in Lumian's chest faded.

It seems no invisible, strange power had invaded Aurore's room last night. The anomaly in my body was just half-activated by the padre's ritual… Lumian roughly understood how events had unfolded.

At that moment, Ryan warned his companions, "It appears our investigation of the cathedral's underground has alarmed the padre and his people. They've found a way to repair the altar and pray for strength ahead of time. From now on, we need to be extra vigilant. Don't assume things will only turn dangerous as Lent approaches."

"If I weren't worried about restarting the loop, I'd have dealt with them already!" Valentine spat hatefully.

Then, he added gloomily, "Can you stop calling that servant of the evil god a padre? He's not worthy!"

Why was he a padre if he wasn't worthy? Lumian dared not voice his thoughts.

He wasn't afraid to voice his thoughts; but wanting to maintain his image in Valentine's eyes, he kept silent. After all, he might need to persuade this fanatic to do something later, like using his suicide to verify the essence of the cycle.

Ryan nodded.

"Let's visit Madame Pualis as soon as possible to replenish our supplies. We should stay inside as much as we can in the future."

Lumian said nothing more, leaving Shepherd Pierre Berry's house through the back door and heading towards the castle on the hill.

Passing through the vibrant garden, the trio approached the partially opened door and informed the red-coated, white-panted manservant, "We need to see Madame Pualis."

"Wait a moment." The valet glanced at Ryan and Valentine before swiftly turning and vanishing through the door.

Soon after, the pale-faced 'midwife' in a grayish-white dress emerged.

Compared to last time, her face was even paler, and her eyes were so blank that it made one's heart turn cold.

Had Lumian not informed Ryan and Valentine beforehand that the 'midwife' wasn't 'dead,' they would have been shocked.

They had seen plenty of dead people turn into zombies. The Solar High Priest specialized in such matters. Valentine had purified dozens of similar cases, but it was beyond their understanding how a person diced into pieces could revert to their original appearance and seem more alive than dead.

The 'midwife' spoke in a monotone.

"Madame doesn't want to see you. Please leave."

"We have urgent matters," Lumian insisted. "Isn't Madame Pualis concerned that the person underground will disrupt her plans?"

The 'midwife' maintained her tone.

"Madame says it won't affect her."

Hearing this, a chill ran down Lumian's spine.

It meant they would have a hard time getting Madame Pualis' help again.

Lumian smiled without displaying frustration or disappointment. Looking at the 'midwife,' he said, "But we might explore the tomb."

He implied that during the exploration, either side could encounter trouble, triggering the loop to restart prematurely.

Unfazed, the 'midwife' remained stiff and blank.

"You can try, but you'll only be disappointed."

What does she mean? Lumian couldn't grasp Madame Pualis' message.

Does she mean they could explore all they wanted, and she would offer some help at crucial moments, but they wouldn't find any valuable clues? The more Lumian pondered, the more he doubted that was her intended meaning. Otherwise, she wouldn't have refused their meeting request through the 'midwife.'

Before Lumian could consider other possibilities, Ryan thoughtfully asked, "Is Madame Pualis trying to tell us that the person in the tomb can easily control us and prevent our investigation without triggering the loop?"

"Yes." The 'midwife' nodded slowly, turned, and retreated deeper into the castle.

Lumian, Valentine, and Ryan exchanged glances and left, feeling helpless.

Their next stop was Ol' Tavern, where they could purchase plenty of provisions and barrels of cheap wine.

Compared to potable water that spoiled easily, wine was more stable. As long as its alcohol content wasn't too high, it could substitute for water.

Entering Ol' Tavern, Lumian scanned the room but didn't spot the mysterious woman.

Disappointed, he focused on the bar counter, telling tavern owner Maurice Bénet what they needed.

After Ryan and Valentine hauled out wine barrels, Lumian lowered his voice and inquired, "Where's the other lady?"

Maurice Bénet shook his head.

"I don't know. Maybe she's in her room, somewhere else in the village, or even in Liège. She rented the room until the 9th. She's free to do as she pleases."

The 9th? The twelfth night? Lumian nodded thoughtfully.

April 9th was the so-called twelfth night that he and Aurore had deduced.

This also confirmed that March 29th was indeed the loop's first day.

If Ryan and the two other foreigners hadn't happened to enter Cordu on a particular cycle's first day, the loop would immediately restart and commence on March 29th whenever outsiders invaded the area.

"Damn." Lumian slapped his forehead and told the tavern owner, Maurice Bénet, "My stomach's acting up. I need the restroom. Tell them to wait for me."

Maurice Bénet's expression seemed to say: What are you up to now?

"Don't mess with me!"

The downside of having a bad reputation rears its ugly head once more… Lumian chuckled.

"Don't worry, I'm really just using the restroom!"

As he spoke, he waved and sprinted toward the staircase.

He did want to use the restroom, but he was heading for the one upstairs.

Maurice Bénet glanced at his retreating figure and muttered, "Spring is here, and this scoundrel's hormones are raging…"

His voice barely reached Lumian's ears.

Upon reaching the second floor, Lumian approached the restroom and positioned himself in front of the mysterious lady's room.

Knock, knock, knock. He rapped on the door.

No answer.

Noticing the absence of a "Do Not Disturb" sign on the handle, Lumian knocked twice more, each time louder than before.

Unfortunately, the mysterious lady never showed.

Lumian pondered for a moment before producing a slim wire and jiggling it in the keyhole.

The door creaked open, revealing an empty room.

The bed's blanket lay neatly folded, as though no one had occupied the space recently.

Lumian exhaled quietly and closed the door without venturing inside.

…

In the afternoon, the siblings congregated in Aurore's bedroom under the guise of instructing Lumian in the art of Hermes to swiftly enhance his strength.

Lumian kept his voice low as he recounted his excursion into the dream ruins the previous night. At last, he inquired, "Anything to add? About hunting the flaming monster?"

Though he was armed with Fallen Mercury and Invisibility, his confidence in hunting the flaming beast remained low.

It was a Sequence of the Hunter pathway that had experienced a qualitative transformation!

Aurore chuckled.

"You've covered all the bases. The only thing I can add is…"

She lifted her hands, formed fists, and shook them gently.

"Break a leg!"

"…" Lumian felt defeated by his sister's jest.

However, the tension in his chest subsided.

Aurore then said, "What remains are some clichéd words: be careful, be careful, be very careful."

She sighed.

"It's a shame the mysterious lady isn't here. Otherwise, I could've crafted some simple, supplementary talismans, along with the Integrity Brooch, and had them brought into your dream."

"That's true." While Lumian felt disappointed, he wasn't disheartened. He had no intention of giving up.

…

At 9:50 pm, Lumian slid out of Aurore's bedroom and stalked down the hallway towards the washroom.

He intended to relieve himself before beginning his night watch.

Bathed in the crimson glow of the moon, the washroom was shrouded in darkness. Only the toilet was faintly visible.

Lumian bent over and unfastened his belt.

Behind him, the shadow on the wall abruptly writhed and morphed into a silhouette brandishing an axe high above its head!

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